


Never Too Careful

by DrSalazar2U



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Banter, Frottage, Light Bondage, M/M, Oral Sex, Seduction, Strip Chess, Summer 1899, Voyeurism, Young Albus Dumbledore, Young Gellert Grindelwald
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2020-05-18 14:56:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 62,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19336843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrSalazar2U/pseuds/DrSalazar2U
Summary: "So that, when my mother died, and I was left the responsibility of a damaged sister and a wayward brother, I returned to my village in anger and bitterness. Trapped and wasted, I thought! And then, of course,he came..." (HP&DH 716)Gellert presents a life changing opportunity, but Albus quickly learns that when it comes to eternal glory, one can never be too careful.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus meets his neighbor's great nephew Gellert and is instantly attracted. The boys battle wits over a game of wizard chess that has an interesting twist in the end. "Checkmate" is just the beginning of the happy endings for these two...

“Oh good! You’re finally here. I was beginning to worry you’d lost your way.”

The voice of the elderly woman wafted through the open window riding the gentle ocean breeze that was slightly scented with the lavender growing wildly in the garden below Albus Dumbledore’s bedroom.

“Old Bathilda must have another guest” he thought as he laid on his bed in his underwear lazily flicking his wand, changing the color and design of the new robes he had gotten for his 18th birthday. Light pink, a dull gray, jet black with different constellations working down the sleeves...

“I didn’t lose my way, Aunt Bathilda. I just... took my time.” The voice was gravily and worn like a soft patch of ground that had been walked over one too many times, yet there was a sweetness to it that seemed almost misplaced. He had an accent. Was it Eastern European? The voice shook Albus out of his reverie, and he launched himself to his window to find its source as he stared down into his neighbor’s yard.

There he stood with his back to Albus, a tall young man who sounded to be around the same age, maybe a year or two older than Albus. He had blonde hair that came down to his ears. It was hard to know his build beneath the crimson robes that softly rippled in the breeze, but the width of his shoulders made it clear he was well built. A Durmstrang student, perhaps? The robes were nearly the same shade as those Albus had seen in books on other magical schools. Albus felt himself immediately drawn to his voice, his posture, his aura. He was lost in imagining what the man looked like when he heard,

“Oh Albus! So glad you are around. Please come down and meet my great-nephew, Gellert.” Bathilda Bagshot cried up to him while waving enthusiastically.

Her great-nephew turned around and locked eyes with Albus. His eyes were dark brown flecked with gold, which popped against his blonde hair. His face was angular with a strong jaw and a pointy nose. As they took each other in, Albus felt a familiar tug in his underwear. Nothing like this boy had ever stepped foot in Godric’s Hollow, or Hogwarts for that matter. Gellert did not smile at Albus, but observed him like an herbologist observed a new stock of tantacula seeds to see if they were ready for planting.

“I-I’ll be right down!” Albus exclaimed. Perhaps a bit too overzealously.

“Smooth, Al. Real smooth.” a sarcastic drawl called from behind him. There stood Albus’s brother, Aberforth, in the doorway looking both amused and disgusted at his brother’s reaction to Bathilda’s guest.

“Shut it, Ab! Don’t you have a goat to go fondle or something?” Albus said venomously ashamed to have been caught ogling the village’s newcomer.

“Shouldn’t you be writing your next award winning piece on the 17 useless uses of hippogriff dung?” Aberforth responded quickly. But Albus wasn’t listening, he waved his wand in a circular motion over his head to magick on his new robe all while making sure his cock was back under control.

“Go see if Ariana is ok, will you?” Albus said without looking at his brother, thinking about how he was going to introduce himself to Gellert. Aberforth stalked off to make sure their sister was ok in her room, but not before saying,

“If he’s as much of a prat as he looks, you two deserve each other.” Again, Albus did not respond to the remark as he bounded downstairs, and out the door, to meet his neighbor’s family member.

“Oh there you are! I wondered what was taking you so long” Bathilda said with one hand on her hip and an impatient stare.

“Sorry Ms. Bagshot, I was talking to my brother and making sure my sister was being attended to” Albus said with a smile. His eyes flashed over to Gellert who, again, was appraising him with an unwavering stare that made blood rush to Albus’s cheeks and his dick. Hastily, he focused his attention back to the old woman and noticed Bathilda’s testy mood had cleared, and a sympathetic expression weaved its way across her face at the mention of his sister.

“Oh yes, of course dear. How callous of me! I do hope they’re both well.” she said quickly, the heat rising to her cheeks.

“They are. Thank you.” Albus said, and deciding to take matters into his own hands he turned to face Gellert and said, “Albus Dumbledore” while extending his hand.

“Sirius?” Gellert inquired.

Confused, Albus repeated “No... Albus”

“No, the star in the constellation on your sleeve, that’s Sirius, right?” Gellert pointed to the brightest star in the constellation Albus had transfigured onto his robes mere moments ago.

“Oh yes. It is. I was just redesigning my robe before...”

“Before you came to your window robeless.” Gellert completely the statement with a smirk. “Tell me Albus, do you often gaze out of windows at strangers without any clothes on?”

“Gellert! Don’t be rude” Bathilda chided. Albus had forgotten she was even there.

“Well... I... umm... I was hot” Albus said clumsily. Merlin! What was happening to him? He was normally so eloquent and composed, not to mention apt for a wittier comeback than “I was hot.”

“Yes you are” Gellert said with a twinkle in his eye.

Albus was completely disarmed by his forwardness, but it made him all the more curious. There was something about this Gellert. There was a powerful mystique that Albus couldn’t explain, which was not normal. Generally, Albus could read people like the myriad of books he’d consumed. He knew how they ticked before they uttered a word, and could tell whether they were worthy of his attention after five minutes. Yet, Gellert’s presence seemed to have thrown his intuition out of sorts. He couldn’t sense anything about him other than he was extremely handsome, absurdly observant, and impossibly elusive in a way that made Albus’s mouth water and mind whirl.

“Gellert is here for a while until he gets on his feet. He’s had some trouble at school as of late and...”

“A few misunderstandings, nothing more. Some people just don’t have my uh... vision. I get the sense you understand.”

Gellert said softly despite cutting off his aunt’s statement, and throwing her a withering glance at the mention of his time at school. She rolled her eyes and slowly began to walk toward her door.

“I understand all too well” Dumbledore said thinking about his brother, and the numerous people in his life who sought to pigeon hole him into a life at the ministry when he wanted great adventure and to let the world know of his brilliance outside the pages of “Transfiguration Today,” he wanted to show them what he could do.

“Gellert” Bathilda interjected. “Why don’t you put your things inside, and let Albus here show you around the village? It’ll be good for you to have someone your own age show you around.” She looked expectantly at Albus who nodded his assent.

“Good!” she said with a toothy grin “I’m too busy to be prodding around today. I have the newest edition of my book to finish.”

No less than 10 minutes later, Gellert had made his way to the front of his aunt’s house to meet Albus. The weather was warm and the air sticky due to the humidity that rose this time of year in the coastal village. Gellert had changed his robe, and was wearing one of a lighter fabric that was a soft blue with navy cuffs.

“I hope this isn’t an imposition. I don’t want to take you away from anything important.” Gellert said as they started down the path towards Godric Hollow’s main thoroughfare.

“Not at all. My brother is at home with my sister, and I’m sure we will be home in time for me to whip up dinner” said Albus reassuringly.

“Can’t your parents take care of that for you?” Gellert asked curiously.

“Unfortunately, no.” Albus said serenely. “My father is in Azkaban and my mother passed away a few months ago. So it falls on me to take care of my siblings.”

“Oh... I’m sorry. I didn’t know...” Gellert said awkwardly

“How could you? You’ve only just arrived, but thanks all the same. It’s been an adjustment but nothing I can’t handle” Albus said with a soft smile.

Secretly, he was so happy to be out of the house and away from all the responsibility that had come upon him since the death of his mother. To just be outside with this gorgeous boy, walking around was more freedom than he’d had since he finished at Hogwarts.

“So when your aunt said you’d had trouble at school, she meant Durmstrang, didn’t she?” Albus inquired seeking to both change the subject and get to know Gellert better.

“Yes, that’s where I went to school, but I was expelled for letting one of my... experiments go too far.” Gellert said passively and quickly moving on saying,  “so this is Godric’s Hollow? My aunt has mentioned it many times in her letters. It’s quaint. Though I imagine one could get bored quickly.”

“Too right you are, but it has its perks. You see there?” Dumbledore said pointing to a park with a set of tables underneath several trees. “That’s where we get together every Tuesday to play in a wizard’s chess tournament.”

“And how do you fair in these tournaments?” Gellert asked

“I haven’t lost yet.” Albus said with a cocky smile “Why? Do you play?”

“I too am undefeated” Gellert said meeting Albus’s eyes and smile.

“Well, maybe I’ve met my match” said Albus softly

“Or perhaps, I’ve met mine.” Gellert said bumping his shoulder with Albus’s as they trundled down the lane.

They spent the next few hours talking while Albus showed Gellert the local pub only wizards could see where pints refilled themselves, the bookstore that changed location every full moon leaving the village’s muggles very confused, the music shop where the owner, Sontini Vibratti, who was a ghost, serenaded his guests with songs he performed while an opera star in Italy during the 15th century.

Albus had never connected with a person as much as he had with Gellert. He was smart, witty, engaging, and flirtatious beyond anything Albus had known. Sure, during his time at Hogwarts he had boyfriends, but they were all attracted to his brain and obsessed with the status they got by being attached to “The Most Brilliant student in Hogwarts History.” But Gellert was different. He had nothing to prove. His brilliance was apparent as soon as he opened his mouth, and the confidence he exuded was so seductive. Albus hoped that he would be able to spend more time with him as the months went on. He wanted to know him in every way he could.

As the sky changed to a deep orange canvas splayed with blues and purples Albus realized how much time he had spent out with Gellert and said, “Oh wow! I’ve got to head back home to make dinner, but if you’re free maybe we can play a game of chess tonight?”

“I would like that. Let me know when you’re done with dinner and we can figure out a place to play. I brought my own set so I’m ready to give you a good pounding” Gellert said with a wicked grin.

“Oh don’t get too cocky. I’m nothing like those Durmstrang boys you’ve been dealing with. I’m going to make you work for it” Albus responded

“Work for it, eh? I do love a good challenge. Assuming you’re as good as you say...” Gellert replied before turning on the spot, and disapparating, leaving Albus there with a hardening dick and a plan to make sure he got the pounding Gellert had promised.

“Alby!!” Ariana exclaimed as Albus walks through the door.

“Hi Ari. How’s your day been?” Albus says walking over to the table where his sister was sitting, and giving her a kiss on her forehead.

“Aberforth and I laid outside and watched the clouds” she said brightly. She was so pleasant when she wasn’t in one of her moods. If she was like this all the time, Albus would not have felt so burdened, but unfortunately after those muggles attacked her, the unpredictability of her powers made it impossible to know if and when she would lose control.

“Where is Ab?” Albus asked as he waved his wand over the stove. Immediately tomatoes flew in from the garden and bounced into a pot beginning to stew into a sauce, and meat from the ice box started to crackle and sizzle as it cooked. Soon, the kitchen smelled of fresh garden herbs and cooking meat. If Albus was grateful for one thing, it was his brother’s gift with plants and animals. It made preparing dinner that much easier when all he had to do was summon things from outside.

“What’s for dinner tonight?” Aberforth asked walking in from the yard.

“We will be taking a trip to the Italy tonight, and feasting on Pasta Bolognese!” Albus said with a flourish of his wand, which send sparks into the air. As if on cue, Ariana began screaming and thrashing in her chair. Immediately, pots and pans began to shake and empty chairs threw themselves against the wall as Ariana’s fit grew.

“Mother Madea! You know how sparks set her off, Albus! And she’s been so good today. It’s going to take me forever to calm her down. Good work, genius.” Aberforth said bitterly striding over to his sister and taking her in his arms.

“It’s alright, Ari! It’s alright. Just Alby playing a stupid game. Just another one of his stupid tricks. Don’t worry, I’ve got you.” Ariana began to calm.

Wracked with guilt, Albus quickly waved his wand to stop the food from cooking and muttered “Reparo” to mend the damage Ariana’s tantrum has brought about.

“Food is on the stove, if you’re hungry” Albus said walking out to the back garden tears welling in his eyes.

How could he have been so stupid? He had just been thinking about how fragile his sister was! How many times had their mother told him and Aberforth that they had to be careful with their magic in the house? How many times had she warned Albus that his proclivities for showing off would one day lead to trouble he couldn’t fix with the wave of his wand?? He sighed and wiped the tears from his eyes. This was too much for an 18 year old to deal with. Especially one with as much potential as him. Caring for an ailing sister and a wayward brother? This just couldn’t be his future.

Suddenly, a white spectral wolf appeared in front of him, opened its mouth, and he heard Gellert’s voice “I hope you’re still on for a chess match tonight. I’ve brushed off my set, and am ready to make you my bitch whenever you’re ready. My aunt has gone to sleep, so feel free to come whenever. I’ll be waiting.”

As if the patronus were a raft keeping Albus from drowning in his own self-pity, Albus waved his own wand, thinking of a blissful time before his responsibilities took over his life, and spoke the words, “Expecto Patronum,” conjuring his phoenix patronus, which hovered in front of him.

He said with a smile, “I hope you’re practicing because the lashing you’re about to get is one you won’t soon forget. See you in 30 minutes.” Albus said to his patronus, and with another swish of his wand sent it floating silently to Gellert.

Walking back into the house, Albus was pleased to see that Aberforth had been able to soothe Ariana, and that they both were eating.

“I’m sorry about that Ab, I got carried away.” he said somberly.

“It’s what you do, Albus. But you’ve got to remember this isn’t Hogwarts anymore. You can’t just wave your wand and make people love you.” Aberforth said sternly.

“I know. I’m working on it.” said Albus as he walked towards the front door.

“Where are you going? You’ve only just gotten home.” Aberforth said.

“Gellert and I are going to play a few rounds of chess. I’ll be home in a few hours. I take it you can get Ariana to bed. You’re so much better with her than I am, and I don’t want to cause another outburst” Albus said with his hand on the doorknob.

“Yeah, I’ll take care it... like always.” Aberforth said resentfully

“Thanks, Ab” Albus said as he closed the door behind him not waiting for a reply. It was time to spend a few more hours with someone who understood him and didn’t make him feel like he didn’t know what he was doing, someone who would make him feel good.  
___

The boys played in Bathilda’s attic where Gellert was staying. It offered a modicum of privacy and enough distance from his aunt that they could be as loud as they pleased without fear of waking her. They had won 2 games each with Gellert defeating Albus spectacularly in the last game

“You are most certainly a worthy opponent,” Gellert said cockily as he waved his wand to reset the board for their final match. “But I think your star is fading.”

“I think you’re trying to psych me out, but I’m not going down without a fight. But what do you say we make this last game more interesting. Ever played Strip Chess?” Albus said staring Gellert straight in the eye not wanting to let on how nervous he was.

“I haven’t, but if it’s anything like the last game of chess we just played, I’m sure I’ll excel” Gellert said with a mischievous grin.

“So confident, Herr Grindelwald, but don’t forget, I’ve beaten you two times before. Who’s to say this time will be any different?” Albus said with one hand on the table and the other slowly rubbing his cock through his robes, but he quickly stopped. He had to focus! He knew he could beat Gellert, but he couldn’t be distracted.

“You’re not wrong Mr. Dumbledore, but you hadn’t seen me naked in the last two games. I think that might throw you off your game.” Gellert said casually, but his eyes smoldered intensely.

Albus’s breath caught but he quickly composed himself saying, “ever the optimist, Gellert. Don’t worry about me. I’ve seen my fair share of naked men.”

“Then let’s begin...” Gellert said, “For every check, an article of clothing of the opponent’s choosing will go”

“Deal.” Albus said confidently

“You there, E3” Gellert commanded, and a pawn moved of its own accord to the determined position.

This game was more intense than any either had played as neither wizard wanted to give the other the satisfaction of winning and potentially humiliating the other. After 45 minutes both men were down to nothing but their underwear. Brows furrowed, they surveyed the board trying to figure out the best way to outdo the other.

It was Dumbledore’s turn and he was working through all the possible combinations that would lead him to victory when finally, he looked at Grindelwald straight in the eye, smirking, and said “Knight to E5.” As the knight slowly moved to the designated position, Gellert’s eyes widened.

He hadn’t seen it coming, which brought Albus unspeakable joy. Gellert had been the most challenging opponent he’d ever faced, but he bested him, and even more amazing was the treat he got for beating him. As the knight slid into place, blocking Gellert’s king from moving anywhere, Albus smiled and seductively said,

“Checkmate.”

As if the word was an incantation, the chessboard and the table it sat on disappeared, leaving no room between the two young men. The tents in both their underwear were visible, and the lust in both their stares was palpable.

“Looks like I’ve won more than just the game,”Albus said staring at Grindelwald’s dick which was slightly protruding through his briefs. “Shall I claim my prize?”

Dick throbbing and eyes lidded, Gellert nodded and said, “Do your worst.”

With a point of his wand, Albus disappeared Grindelwald’s underwear and slowly sank out of his chair, to the floor, ready for his reward.

“I wish I could say I was upset I’d lost, but alas I find myself pleased that I... AH!” Gellert couldn’t get the last word out before Albus wrapped his lips around his sizable member and began working his tongue masterfully around the wizard’s head and shaft.

In a short period of time while Albus was sucking his cock, Gellert realized that the magic Albus could do with his wand was nothing in comparison to the magic he was doing with his mouth. Gellert was letting out wild moans and constantly calling out Albus’s name all while Albus slowly bobbed his head up and down.

When Gellert mentioned that he was close to cumming, Albus pulled off of his cock, said “your turn.”

Without a second thought, Gellert picked up his wand that had fallen out of his hands while Albus sucked him off, and slashed it through the air. Immediately, Albus felt himself rise, his underwear vanish, and he fell on his back to a bed that been in the corner of the attic. Recovering from the surprise, he saw Gellert walking towards him, dick still hard as a rock and glistening. There was something dark in his stare as he made his way to the bed. The air crackled with the raw power that emanated from him, and the thick, humid air of the day’s heat was intensified by the heat they were both radiating.

When Gellert reached the bed, he lowered his body to Albus’s and kissed him so passionately that Albus could have cum right then.

Slowly and meticulously, Gellert’s kisses made their way down to Albus’s dick. He looked the wizard straight in the eye and said “I wanted this from the moment I saw you in that window,” and with a force that Albus did not expect he plunged his mouth onto Albus’s cock sucking and licking it with reckless abandon as if this were the last act he would ever do.

There was a desperation to the way that his mouth moved and an earnestness in the moans that escaped him as he moved up and down Albus’s shaft. In that moment, Albus felt like he was seeing the real Gellert, unfettered and uninhibited. That level of vulnerability shook Albus to his core forcing him to mutter “I’m close” in between moans.

Gellert stopped, slowly rose, and laid his body on top of Albus’s once more. His hand slowly made his way down to both their cocks and he held them both in one hand. Slowly he began to move his hips up and down so that their members rubbed against one another. He never broke eye contact with Albus. He stared into his eyes in a way that made Albus feel both unnerved and free.

Albus began to meet his stride and their moans joined one another in a symphony of pleasure. They called each other’s names as their grinding sped up. They both felt their orgasms coming, but they kept a steady rhythm and continued to look into each other’s eyes as the kinetic pleasure burst forth, and they both yelled out in ecstasy. Gellert collapsed onto Albus’s chest both breathing heavily.

After a few moments, Gellert rolled onto his back next to Albus, looked at him smiling and said, “checkmate.”

After 30 minutes or so of laying on the bed, Albus got up.

“I’ve got to get back home and make sure everything is alright with Ab and Ariana” he summoned his wand with an outstretched hand, and swirled it around him saying “Scourgify” removing his and Gellert’s cum from his chest and stomach. Gellert remained sprawled out on the bed naked looking up at Albus.

“Are you sure you can’t stay the night? I’m sure we could find some ways to keep each other entertained.” he said with a devilish smirk.

“As promising as that sounds, I should be home tonight to make sure all is well, and to make breakfast in the morning.” Albus replied looking around unable to find his clothes.

“What did you do with them?” he asked Gellert.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, sir. Whatever are you accusing me of?” Gellert said playfully.

“You hid my clothes, you prat! Accio!” Albus said with mock annoyance and his robes and underwear came zooming to him from a cupboard next to the stairs that led to the floor below.

“Bollocks! I’d hoped you wouldn’t work so hard to get them,” Gellert pouted and Albus put on his robe. He was about to put on his underwear when his eyes opened wide and he let out a light chuckle. Rising, he looked at Gellert, and pointed his wand at the briefs in his hand. They sparkled for a minute and then the light dimmed. He tossed them to Gellert and said, “something to remember me by,” turned on the spot and vanished.

Slowly Gellert rose from the bed and, filled with curiosity, stared down at Albus’s underwear murmuring,  
“I wonder what he’s done to you.” He picked them up, and upon touching them, was overcome with the desire to put them on. So he stood up and pulled on the briefs. Immediately, he felt a sensation on his dick that made him instantly hard. He fell back on to the bed.

“What the f--AH!” he screamed.

It took him all of two seconds to realize that it felt like someone was sucking his dick, but not just anyone, Albus. The feel of his lips on Gellert’s cock was identical to their encounter an hour ago. Slow, intentional, and hungry. Gellert laid there both in shock and ecstasy as his second orgasm of the night inched closer and closer. He did not touch himself, he didn’t need to,  he merely allowed the enchantment to work over his cock the way he assumed Albus had intended. He was overcome by the sensation of having a phantom Albus sucking him again as well as impressed by the brilliance of the magic that must have gone into it. His orgasm came quickly and he shook with pleasure as wave after wave of euphoria washed over him.

As he regained his wits, he realized that the sensation had not stopped, “Merlin’s beard, they’re insatiable!” he said yanking off the cum soaked underwear and throwing them to the floor.

He collapsed breathless back on the bed, more spent and satisfied than he had been in a very long time. How had Albus done that? Was that an enchantment he had invented ? But more importantly, how would Gellert pay him back? He drifted off to sleep with thoughts of giving the boy next door exactly what he’d just been given.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gellert uses a few of his own original spells gets his revenge after Albus's little underwear trick. Turns out being a voyeur is even more of an experience when you can feel what you're watching...

Albus woke up the next morning and laid there thinking about the last few hours. He had met the most amazing man who somehow managed to disarm him in ways that he had never experienced. Gellert appreciated Albus’s brilliance and wit while complementing it with his own. There was, in Albus’s opinion, nothing like being with someone who was your equal.

So often during his time at Hogwarts, Albus found himself unable to connect with his peers. They just never quite understood the depths his mind would go to. His relationship with many of friends was that of an older brother helping his younger siblings navigate a world that he was all too familiar with. But the truth was that Albus too was learning about the world, just a bit faster.

There was of course his best friend. Elphias Doge, who he spent much of his time with. Elphias understood Albus, and was able to connect with him on a number of dimensions. They both often felt like outcasts when they arrived at Hogwarts, though for different reasons. When they both started, Elphias had just recovered from the highly contagious and highly feared dragon pox. Many students wouldn’t go near him, but having just finished Acestor Aphrigon’s Mending Magical Maladies, Albus knew that Elphias was fine. And to his credit, Elphias did not run in the opposite direction from the boy whose father had been sent to Azkaban for attacking muggles. No, they both saw each other for who they were without considering their pasts.

Elphias was one of the few people in Albus’s life who saw the real Albus. The one who struggled to reconcile his brilliance with the hardships he faced at home with a mother who was terrified of people realizing who her husband, was or what had happened to her daughter. She pushed Albus to be the best so that he could “restore honor to the Dumbledore name.”

That kind of pressure at such a young age can do strange things to children, but Albus rose to the occasion in hopes that it would take some of his mother’s anxieties away, and for a while it did. Elphias was there for Albus when his mother died, and even considered canceling his trip around the world to help Albus, but he could never have allowed his friend to do that. One of them needed to have the adventure. One of them should have the chance to live out his dreams and not be stuck.

But now, Albus thought as he got up and walked to his window, at least he got to be stuck with Gellert to keep him company. The encounter with Gellert the night before really took a lot out of Albus, and his stomach’s grumble reminded him that he hadn’t eaten before leaving to play chess. He was starving. He conjured his robe and went downstairs to make breakfast.

As he walked into the kitchen Albus flicked his wand and the eggs, bacon, and toast swirled overhead. The eggs cracked and whisked themselves, the bacon flew onto the frying pan, and the toast lightly browned. Dumbledore looked out the window to see his brother doing his daily ministrations in his garden. Where as Albus used magic for everything, Aberforth liked to use his hands. He said it made him feel “at one with the world.” He always said strange things like that as if he lived to show just how different he was from his older brother. But Albus had to admit that there was a beauty in watching his brother, who dedicated himself to very little, tend to his garden with such care.

Albus suspected that Aberforth’s love of gardening came because it was one of the few things he and his mother shared. Kendra was not particular kind to Aberforth. She felt that he was too open in ways that might make the family look bad. This concern only got worse after their father was imprisoned. But when it came to gardening, which many wizards and witches tended by magic, their mother and Ab had a strange connection. They would spend hours in the garden, with Ariana playing in the back, tending to the different plants and herbs. Though Kendra spoke very little of her mother, she did say that this was something she shared with her. Since her death, Aberforth had become somewhat obsessive about the garden and its upkeep. Albus thought that in many ways, Ab wanted to keep the garden going in memory of their mother.

Shaking himself out of that reverie, he walked out and bid Aberforth good morning telling him breakfast would be ready in a few minutes. Aberforth grunted, which Albus took as an acknowledgement and looked around the garden.

“It’s looking good Ab. You really have a knack for this”

“It’s rubbish! I can’t stop the devil’s snare from attacking the section of the garden. There’s too much shade.”

Albus had to fight the urge to point out what if Aberforth trimmed a hedge to the left, sunlight would flood the area and get rid of devil’s snare. But this was Aberforth’s domain and Albus wanted to respect that. As he continued to look around the garden, his eyes were pulled up to the Bagshot house. He chuckled thinking about how Gellert got on with his enchanted underwear last night. Did he put them on right after he left? He hoped he did. What a surprise that must have been! Especially after all that talking about how brilliant he was. Albus highly doubted he had seen or experienced any magic like that from the boys at Durmstrang.

“I take it you had a good time playing chess with what’s his name last night?” Aberforth said while pruning back some weeds that lashed at his hands every time he came close with the sheers.  
Albus didn’t say anything he just blushed fiercely. Aberforth chuckled, “That good, ey? Who knew chess could be so… invigorating?”

Albus gawked and laughed, “Ab don’t be so crass.”

“Me? I’m just saying what your face is telling.”

“Something must have been lost in translation” Albus retorted.

“I don’t think so,” Ab said with a warm smile “but Al?”

“Yeah?”

“Be careful. There’s… there’s something about him. I know I haven’t met him officially, but I watched him yesterday. and there’s something about him that doesn’t feel right.” Aberforth said.

“I-- I’ll keep that in mind. Though you might want to get to know someone before you cast that kind of judgement, Ab.” Albus said not wanting to sound too defensive.

“I know, but... well anyways just be careful.”

Albus didn’t know what to say to that. Aberforth was very rarely sincere, and he had never shown concern like this before. But it all seemed for naught because he hadn’t even met Gellert, let alone spent enough time with him to truly gauge whether there was anything to worry about. Then again, neither had Albus. But he didn’t need to spend a lot of time with him to know that he was one of the few people in this world who truly understood him, and he wasn’t willing to give that up so quickly. Still, he would have to keep an eye out for whatever it is his brother’s seen that led him to give that cautionary advice.

As he walked into the house, he found Ariana sitting at the table, patiently waiting for breakfast. Albus moved his wand in a complicated figure and Ariana’s bacon and egg sandwich made itself and flew to her on a plate. Ariana clapped her hands, and set to eating the food. Albus took a bow and his sister giggled.

“What did I miss?”

“Just...” Albus repeated the motion and prepared his brother’s sandwich “...this” As before, the sandwich wafted into the air, preparing itself and softly landed in Aberforth’s hands.

“7 years at Hogwarts, and floating sandwiches is your claim to fame?” Aberforth said sarcastically. Without missing a beat, Albus waved his wand causing his brother’s sandwich to be replaced with a cactus. Aberforth laughed,

“well played. Next time I’ll eat my food before I insult you.”

“Good plan,” Albus said with a chuckle as he turned the cactus back into the sandwich.

“What are your plans for today? Albus asked.

“Ari and I are going to do some reading and maybe a little bit of cleaning?”

“I hate cleaning” Ariana said pouting.

“But if you clean then maybe we can go outside and watch some more clouds?” Aberforth said leaning towards her.

“Ok!!” Ariana said excitedly. Albus smiled to himself. Aberforth was so good with her. He knew just what to say to get her to cooperate. All while keeping her calm. He had a patience that Albus attributed to his time in his garden. Waiting for things to grow was a skill, and had clearly bled into Aberforth’s relationship with their sister. Albus didn’t have time to wait. Why wait, when with the flick of one’s wand you could have what you wanted? He didn’t know how his brother, or muggles for the matter, did it. He was both envious and skeptical of the choice to not use magic.

“I’ll be upstairs reading if you need anything. If you all get hungry later, there’s leftover pasta. I trust you can warm it up, Ab?”

“Yeah I got it” he said without looking at his brother. He was still playing with Ariana. Albus smiled and made his way up stairs. It was such a comfort to know that he didn’t have to worry about Ariana as long as Aberforth was around.

He walked into his room and over to his bookshelf. He was in the process of reading “Tales of Beetle the Bard” for the 15th time, and writing notes about the different allegories each of the stories presented. As he sat down at his desk to begin reading Babbity Rabbity and the Hopping Stump, he saw a bird flying towards his window. It gracefully flew through his window, and glided in a circle around his room. He thought it strange as Iris, their family owl, normally came through the front door and never delivered mail into his room. But as the bird came closer and fluttered to his desk, he noticed it wasn’t actually a bird but a piece of parchment that had been folded into a bird and enchanted to fly. The transfiguration was beautiful, and Albus knew immediately that it was from Gellert. Few wizards could make something so lovely, and none of them were in Godric’s Hollow save himself and his neighbor’s nephew.

As soon as the parchment bird landed on his desk, it transformed into a regular piece of parchment that revealed a short note with the words, “Auris Proxim”  and a rather intricate drawing which Albus took to be wand movements.

He hastily grabbed his wand, and mimicked the movements from the parchment uttering the words, “auris proxim,” which he translated to “within the ear.”

He wasn’t sure he had done the spell correctly and went back to inspect the parchment when he Gellert’s voice loud and clear as if he were right next to him, “Are you there, Albus?” Albus jumped not expecting to hear a voice and not one that felt so close. Gellert’s voice was soft, as if he were laying on Albus’s bed instead of being yards away in the house next door.

Apprehensively Albus replied, “I am. What is this spell? I’ve never heard of it.” Gellert laughed cockily, “That’s because it’s a spell of my creation. I used it in school to talk to my comrades who were in different parts of Durmstrang’s castle.”

  
“It’s amazing. It sounds like you’re right next to me.” Albus said excitedly. He loved learning new spells and figuring out how they worked. He would spend some time soon breaking down how this spell worked.

“Come to your window, and look up” Gellert said.

Something in his voice was commanding and alluring. Albus complied, and went to the window, and looked up to see Gellert standing in the attic window. The window was long enough to fit Gellert’s entire body and had several panes in it. Albus’s vision was a bit blurred, and with a slight slick of his wand he conjured his glasses so he could see him better, and he was glad he did because when he put them on and looked at the window again he was greeted by Gellert’s beautiful naked body. Gellert’s toned body was pale from lack of sun, but it suited him. The way the sun glinted through his attic window it was as if his body were randomly flecked with small diamonds. His broad shoulders held his massive pecs well and his abdomen was flat, but Albus’s eyes spent little time on anything above the waist. It was Gellert's stiffened member that kept Albus’s attention.

“Well...” Albus said, “this is a pleasant surprise.”

“Not as surprising as the blow job I received from your underwear last night.” Gellert replied with a smirk. His voice was dark and husky and from what Albus could see his cock was hard.

“Oh, so you did put them on...” Albus said curiously. “That was a charm of my own invention. It recreates the sexual experience of the wearer for whoever puts them on. Before you vanished my briefs, I sucked you off. So I’m guessing that’s what you felt when you put them on. Did you enjoy them?”

“They sucked the life out of me last night.... and this morning” Gellert said seductively. “So yes. I enjoyed them very much. You won’t be getting them back.”

“They’re yours.” Albus said silently pleased that the spell had worked and that it had brought Gellert so much pleasure that he had put them on twice. He only wished he could have watched it happen. The thought of turned him on immensely.

“I think it’s time I return the favor” Gellert said, his voice becoming darker and more desperate.

“What did you have in mind?” Albus asked expectantly.

“First, take off your robe.” Gellert told him. With a flourish of his wand, Albus’s robe was gone as were his underwear.

“Ok.” He responded.

“How well can you see me?” Gellert inquired.

“Now that I put on my glasses, you’re be clear as day” Albus responded.

“Good” Gellert declared. His tone was deep and authoritative, like he was a general in the army. Albus was breathless with excitement. What was about to happen? What would this revenge look like, and exactly how did Gellert plan to repay the favor from his attic. The suspense was killing him, and he reached for his hard cock in anticipation for what was to come.

“Ah ah!” Gellert interjected “Don’t touch yourself.”

“I’m not sure I can control myself,” Albus said with mock innocence.

“I’m sure you’ll find the strength,” Gellert said sardonically “Do you trust me?” He asked seriously. Without a second thought “I do.” Albus replied. Ready and waiting for what was to come. “If at any point you want me to stop, you tell me immediately.” Albus nodded vigorously to show his agreement.

“Good. Now repeat these words, ‘Speculo Sensum’”

“Speculo Sensum” Albus repeated them, and he felt a rush come over him. He looked up at Grindelwald who was smiling in a very dangerous way, and asked, “what just happened?”

“This is another one of my original spells. You will feel everything I do to my own body on your body.” And Albus watched as Gellert licked his fingers and ran his hand down his own body to his throbbing cock. When he grabbed it, they both let out a simultaneous moan. Albus’s hands remained at his side, but he felt Gellert’s hand around his cock. It was a sensation he’d never felt before. Feeling someone else touch him, seeing Gellert touching himself through the window, but also knowing he, Albus, wasn’t doing anything. The cognitive dissonance of the moment along with the heady pleasure of seeing Gellert’s expression from the attic made every stroke of his cock feel like an orgasm.

“Do you like the way this feels?” Gellert’s asked softly

“Gods, yes!” Albus moaned.

“Do you want me to stop?” Gellert probed, knowing the answer.

“Don’t you dare,”Albus chided. He didn’t take his eyes off of Grindelwald as he watched him stroke himself up and down, paying special attention to the head of his cock. Albus continued to moan and slowly move his hips into Gellert’s invisible hand. Gellert, enjoying being in control, summoned a bottle with his free hand and briefly stopped stroking himself to lather two of his pointer and middle fingers with the bottle’s contents.

He then looked back at Albus and said, “still trust me?” to which Albus replied, “Do your worst.” With a chuckle, Gellert reached behind himself and parted his ass cheeks and inserted his middle finger. Albus jumped as he felt the slight intrusion in his own asshole.

“You alright? You’ll tell me if this hurts or makes you uncomfortable.” The second statement wasn’t a question, it was a command.

“I’m fine,” Albus said with his eyes closed waiting for Gellert to continue fingering his hole. Gellert started slowly inserting his finger and sliding it out.

With these motions Gellert could no longer keep his eyes on Albus. He was in the throws of ecstasy, and seeing that threw Albus into greater pleasure knowing that they were experiencing this together. After a few moments the probing of the middle finger got deeper until it hit Grindelwald’s prostate. Both men let out loud moans of pleasure as Gellert’s meticulous massaged the prostate. For a brief moment, Albus worried about being heard by Aberforth and Ariana, but that concern was washed away when Gellert inserted a second finger into his own asshole, which sent intense feelings pain and pleasure through Albus.

“This... is... incredible” Gellert said. “Watching you watch me, and knowing that I’m pleasing us both.”

“Oh get over yourself and keep going. I think we’re close...” Albus said in a heavy toned voice trying to keep his eyes on the man in the attic window. By this point Gellert had one hand leaning up against the window and the other hand finger his hole. As he felt himself getting closer, Gellert pushed himself off the window and began to stroke himself while keeping his finger in his ass. Albus was overwhelmed by the sheer sensation of the anal penetration and the feeling of someone stroking his cock. It didn’t take long for both boys to cry out as their orgasms over took them and stream after stream of cum let loose from their dicks.

“Holy shit!” Albus said as he stumbled backwards to his bed and laid down on his back. “I have never felt anything like that before in my life.”

“Neither have I” said Gellert. “That was unbelievable.”

“You did that just to one up me didn’t you?” Albus asked in mock annoyance as his breaths came in slow spurts.

“Yes. And to make you feel what you did to me last night. It’s only right that you get to experience how incredible you made me feel with those underwear.” Gellert said breathing heavily.

“I like to think, it’s better in person” Albus said seductively

“It is and I can’t wait to have you back here to show me just how much better...” Gellert said

“Maybe I’ll keep you waiting...” Albus said

“As if you could” Grindelwald said and he circled his thumb around his cockhead. He received the immediate satisfaction of Albus’s yelp of pleasure, and then muttered “Finite Incantatem.”  

Albus immediately felt the mirror spell lift and no longer heard Gellert. He laid there on his bed, cum on his bedroom floor, and thought about a time when he’d been happier. Everything was happening so fast, and Albus was falling quicker and quicker for the mysterious genius next door.

He knew it was nonsense to feel this way given that he’d only just met Gellert but there was something about the brilliance. Something about the way they just understood one another, pushed one another, appreciated one another that, even in this short time, stirred something in Albus that was what he’d been waiting for. Any thought of working or reading were washed away as he faded off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus learns a few things about Gellert that give him some pause, but not enough to keep him from taking things to the next level romantically.

As the summer moved into late June, Albus and Gellert spent as much time together as they could. The conversations were so refreshing and the company beyond compare. Albus couldn’t help but be than be grateful for whatever divine providence had led Gellert to Godric’s Hollow. He was thinking about what the future held for the two of them as he laid there topless on Gellert’s lap one breezy day.

They had apparated to a beach for the day to have a lovely picnic. Now they were just sitting watching the waves wash over the rocky shore. The sun hung high in the afternoon sky and the hazy heat rose off the rocks of the shore offering an almost misty visage as the cool water hit the hot rocks. The smell of the ocean tickled their noses as they enjoyed the view and their time with one another.

“Why did your father do to get sent to Azkaban?” Gellert asked after a few moments of silence.

Albus slowly sat up. They had never talked about his family since their first meeting two weeks before, and Albus was thrown by the mention of his father’s imprisonment. He had to go back and remember if he had even told Gellert about it. He remember that he had mentioned it on the first day they had met, but was still surprised by the question. He hesitated. He had told very few people in his life the tale of what brought shame to the Dumbledore family. But after weeks of sharing so much with Gellert, it felt right to tell him this.

Taking a deep breath, he said, “He... he used magic on a group of muggles who had attacked my sister after seeing her perform some magic in our back garden when she was eight.”

Gellert shot up from his laid position and said in a raised voice, “What?! They put him in prison for protecting his child?”

“He broke the law...” Albus started.

“THEY ATTACKED HIS CHILD! He was well within his rights to attack them. She was defenseless, surely your ministry recognized this?!” Gellert looked at Albus pleadingly wanting the powers-that-be to provide some solace.

“They did not.” Albus said glumly. “They believed that there were better ways to handle the situation, and that he risked exposing our kind with his rash and impulsive attack.”

With every word, Gellert got more and more enraged to the point where he rose to his feet and began to pace up and down the beach.

“Don’t you…. Don’t you ever get tired of this?” he asked Albus

“Tired of what?” Albus asked

“Of hiding underneath rocks like insects! We are stronger and better than them, and yet we’re expected to shrink our own powers? For what? To keep them safe?”

At this point, Gellert was ranting, but something about the way the words flowed from him told Albus that this wasn’t the first time he was saying them aloud. This was something he believed. Something he had preached before. Suddenly, Aberforth’s warning came back to him “be careful,” he’d said, but Albus brushed it away.

“They are the insects” Gellert continued, “not us! Why should we have to hide? Why should wizarding children be left unprotected because we seek to keep the muggles blissfully unaware that far more powerful beings walk among them everyday? Is their ignorance worth our suffering?” He continued to pace back and forth.

“Our secrecy is not only for their protection,” Albus reasoned “but ours as well. If we were to live exposed among the muggles surely they would seek to use our magic for personal gain, and exploit our better nature to satisfy their base desires. The Statute of Secrecy ensures that both wizards and muggles can co-exist peacefully.”

“We shouldn’t have to co-exist, Albus! Don’t you see? They are weaker than us by every metric. We have the power. We should rule.” Gellert spat.

“Rule? Gellert, surely you don’t mean make them our servants?” Albus said shocked at the insinuation.

“I-” Gellert saw the disdain on Albus’s face and immediately calmed down.

After a deep breath he spoke in a soft and reassuring voice, “I just mean that we should be the ones to dictate what happens in this world. To whom much is given, much is expected. Why are we, the ones to whom much has been given, forced to live in the shadows? We have so much to offer, we could help the muggles with the aid of magic, and be sure that they didn’t abuse its usefulness.”

He slowly made his way back to the towel where Albus sat contemplatively listening and analyzing his every word. Gellert went to grab Albus’s hand, but he jumped causing Gellert to recoil.

“I’ve said too much...” Gellert said returning his gaze to the water

“You’ve said what you believe” Albus replied.

“I do believe it....” Gellert started. “I believe that everyone would be better off if wizards were the ones leading. Surely, you must have thought of what your life would be like if we didn’t have to hide. If your sister’s magic hadn’t prompted those young boys to attack her, your father wouldn’t be in Azkaban, and you would be free to change the world the way I know you want to. Don’t you see Albus,” he said imploringly, “they have taken that from you. Your future.”

“I’m getting cold,”Albus said abruptly rising to his feet and summoning his robes. “I think we should be heading back. It’s getting late.”

Scared at the coldness in his tone, Gellert grabbed Albus’s hand softly and said “I didn’t mean to upset you, only to share with you something I believe strongly.”

“And so you have, but I need to get back home.” Albus said looking at Gellert in a way that was concerning, but he nodded and they turned on the spot into nothingness.

That night as Albus stared up at his ceiling he thought about everything that Gellert had said to him on the beach. He had been so adamant that wizards ruling muggles was the right thing to do, and while Albus did not feel as strongly there were parts of Gellert’s argument that Albus couldn’t help but agree with. Especially when he considered what his life would have been like were wizards in power. His sister might never have been attacked, his father never arrested, his mother never killed, and him, free to travel and learn. He knew dwelling on the past would do no good, but he could not shake the feeling that the current structure had cost him so much. But making muggles the servants of wizards? That felt wrong to him.

Surely there was a way to establish wizarding rule without subjugating muggles to enslavement. The thought spurred something in him and he got up, grabbed his wand and used it to light the lamp on his desk. He dipped a quill in the ink jar, and began to write. It was freeing to be thinking critically again. Since Hogwarts he’d been so busy tending to his responsibilities as head of the house that he hadn’t been able to write a piece or analyze anything. The words came to him quickly as he wrote out what he believed would be the most effective way to change the power structure and put wizards on top.

Gellert’s words kept coming to him, “we could help the muggles with the aid of magic.” He was right, wizards had so much to offer muggles, but to ensure that they didn’t take advantage, wizards would have to be in charge.

As he continued to write he saw the flicker of a lamp in Bathilda’s attic, and knew the Gellert was awake too.

Albus spoke the words of the whisper charm, “Auris Proxim,” and said “someone’s up late tonight.”

“You’re one to talk” Gellert responded. “I hoped you would reach out to me. Especially after my uh- outburst on the beach.” his voice was laced with anxiousness.

“I wanted to hear your voice before I went to bed,” Albus said softly.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to share his ideas about wizard dominance just yet. They were newly formed, and if he was going to convince Gellert to do this his way, everything would need to be perfect.

“Oh? So you’re not upset with me?” Gellert asked the pitch in his voice rising and Albus heard hope in it.

“How could I be upset with you for saying what you believe? And you’re certainly not the first wizard to believe that we should rule, but I didn’t cast this spell to talk to you about the pros and cons of wizard domination”Albus said suggestively.

Gellert let out a soft chuckle and asked “Ok. What, pray tell,  do you want to talk about?”

“Well... I don’t really want to talk” Albus said slowly his hand drifting down to his stiffening dick. There was something about Gellert’s voice that instantly turned him on. Maybe it was the memories of the day he whispered in Albus’s ear while magically jerking them both off. Whatever it was, Albus’s level of arousal was rising with every second Gellert’s rough, deep voice played in his ears.

“I see” Gellert responded. His voice lower “What do you want then?”

“You. Here. Now.” Albus said, and before he could finish the last word, he heard a faint popping noise, and there stood Gellert naked with his signature smirk.

“Here I am,” he said with a flourish.

Albus stood up and walked over to him, penis erect and throbbing. “Here you are, indeed.”

As he made his way closer to Gellert, he noticed Gellert taking in his room until his gaze stopped on Albus’s desk. Fearful Gellert would see his treatise on how wizards rule over muggles, Albus followed his eyes only to realize Gellert wasn’t staring at his notes, but rather the copy of “Tales of Beetle the Bard” Albus had left on his desk after taking more notes on the stories. He let out a light laugh.

“What?” Gellert asked.

“You’re in my room, we’re both naked, and you’re more interested in a book of children’s stories?” Albus asked incredulously.

Gellert laughed and strolled over to pick up the book.

“It has one of my favorites in it. ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’”

“That is a good one, and apparently the origin story of the deathly hallows” Albus said as he walked up behind Gellert and pressed his naked body against his.

“I know about the Hallows,” Gellert said letting out a slight moan as Albus laid light kisses on the back of his neck while his arms wrapped around him allowing his hands to roam across Gellert’s muscular chest.

“Yes, the cloak of invisibility” Albus breathed as his hands passed over Gellert’s hard nipples giving each of them a light squeeze, before continuing their descent.

“The resurrection stone” he continued with his hands grazing his abs. Then he stopped and waited. Gellert’s breathing had gotten more forced as Albus’s hands descended.

“I think you forgot one...” Gellert said impatiently.

“Have I?” Albus said playfully while tugging at the tussles hair right below his belly button.

“Yes,” Gellert grunted as he took Albus’s hand and guided it to his hard cock, “The elder wand.”

“Oh! Of course” Albus whispered in his ear and letting his tongue light lick his ear lobes. He slowly began to stroke Gellert’s cock while still playing with his ear.

“How could I have forgotten that?” Albus groaned. He was grinding his dick into Gellert’s ass cheeks and Gellert pushed back against him with every stroke.

“Seems like an egregious oversight on the part of someone so learned, don’t you think?” Gellert teased.  
“So is coming to my room naked and ignoring me for some book,” Albus snapped back before lightly biting Gellerts neck which elicited a growl from the man. Their grinding got a bit more frantic as Gellert started to get into a rhythm.

“What can I do to make it up to you?” he asked with moans falling between each of the words.

“Fuck me.” Albus said definitively. Gellert froze.

“If that’s ok with you...” Albus added quickly. His hands fell from Gellert’s dick which stayed hard as he turned to face Albus.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t” Albus said coming closer to Gellert and slightly tilting his head up for a kiss.

Albus has been thinking about taking this step with Gellert for a while now. It wasn’t that he needed it to be special, but rather that he wanted to make sure he wasn’t getting in over his head, and though the conversation at the beach had given him some pause about taking their relationship to the next level, Albus couldn’t deny how much his body wanted Gellert. So much so that he was willing to make some concessions.

It wasn’t as if Gellert was a bad person. He just had a different perspective that was a bit more radical. But Albus knew that there was a good person there. The person who would be afraid that he would never speak to him again after the beach. The man who made him feel wanted, understood, and appreciated. That is who he wanted to have sex with tonight. The day’s earlier display felt like nothing more than a mirage as he stared there looking into Gellert’s eyes.

“Fuck me, Gellert. It’s what I want.” he smiled and kissed him.

It took a few seconds for Gellert to accept that Albus was giving himself over to him, but once he came to terms with it, the fire that had smoldering inside of him since apparating into the room burst into flames. He pulled Albus to him by his waist as they kissed so that their bodies were almost melded together. Their tongues made their way into the other’s mouth and savored every taste. They were lost in each other. All the tension from the beach had transformed into a passion that could not be contained.

Albus briefly broke away to cast a series of charms that would keep all the inevitable sounds confined to his room as not to wake up his brother and sister. He turned to the lamp light and with a lazy flick the lighting went from bright to dim as if the candle had been burning for hours, and was minutes away from being snuffed out. The new lighting cast low shadows across the room creating even more intimacy for the two men.

Albus turned back to Gellert, who had taken the moment to move himself to Albus’s bed. He sat there his eyes hooded, body inviting. Albus walked over to him, pushed him back on the bed and gently laid on top of him, and their kissing resumed.

The bed creaked loudly as the two men rolled around vying for control, wrestling to see who would be on top. Their kissing was punctuated with laughs as their battle for power got more heated. Finally, Albus ended up on top (though he believed Gellert let him), and he meticulously kissed his way down Grindelwald’s toned body. Paying attention to his nipples, his stomach, and that sensitive piece of skin right on the pelvic bone that he quickly found drove him wild.

“If you’re planning on torturing me all night, put me out of my misery now” Gellert said writhing on the bed.

“I’ll have my way with you and then you’ll have yours with me. My room. My rules.” Albus said with a smile as he lowered his mouth onto Gellert’s swollen penis.

Gellert exhaled slowly with a hiss like one might when getting into a pool of water that is too hot. The tension he had built up while he and Albus were grinding against one another and making out was reaching a fever pitch, and he knew that Albus’s skilled mouth would leave him in a euphoric stupor. Albus relished having Gellert’s cock in his mouth. He wanted to taste every morsel of precum, and feel every ridge and vein that cascaded down the long shaft. He knew he had been teasing Gellert, and too much suction would make it difficult for him to claim the prize he really wanted.

So with some reluctance he lifted his mouth off Gellert, and crawled back up to Gellert’s mouth and started kissing him again. Gellert sensing a shift in the dynamic rolled over on top of Albus and hovered briefly above him his blond locks falling to his side.

“You are one of the most brilliant men I’ve ever met” he said softly before feverishly kissing Albus again. He stopped again.

“What is it?” Albus asked concerned.

“You’re sure you want this?” he asked gently.

Albus’s eyes met Gellert’s, there was concern in them “yes, but if you don’t...” Albus sputtered.

“No, I do. I just want to be sure you’re ready to do this with... with me” he said and the confidence the usually undergirded everything Gellert did had abandoned him.

Albus couldn’t help but wonder why someone so sure of himself was so unsure in this moment. He had told him that this is what he wanted numerous times, and while he appreciated the checking in, he kept thinking about what proceeding this to make the man on top of him feel so unworthy.

“Of course I do.” Albus reassured him offering a hand to his cheek

“It’s what I want. You’re what I want.”

Gellert smiled and nodded curtly. He reached for his wand and drew an oblong oval into the air. A bottle in the shape as the one he’d drawn appeared. Albus recognized it as the lubricant he’d used when he’d cast the mirror charm on him a few weeks ago. Gellert squeezed the contents of the bottle onto his fingers, and slicked his fingers down. He pressed his unlubed hand onto Albus’s stomach and muttered a spell. Albus felt a warming sensation spread from his stomach through his whole body, and he felt any tension he had melt away.

“That was an incantation that will relax your muscles so that the pain isn’t too intense. You will still have control of your body but this will make it easier for me to uhh-- get inside you” Gellert said with an awkward smile.

Once Albus nodded and said “thank you,” the two started to kiss again.

While they kissed, Gellert slowly inserted one lubricated finger, and Albus felt a twinge of pain but was able to adjust rather quickly. He distracted himself by looking into Gellert’s eyes. The in and out motion of Gellert’s finger slowly changed from slight pain to pleasure. Soon Albus was meeting each stroke and groaning for more. Gellert complied and added in a second finger. This time the sting lasted longer and caused Albus to grit his teeth, but like before Gellert’s steady and rhythmic strokes made it easier. Gellert added a third finger, and Albus had to ask him to hold on so his body could adjust. After a few minutes, Gellert gently resumed the in and out motion.

After 10 minutes, an impatient Albus swatted Gellert’s hands away and said,  “I’m ready for you”

“Ok.” Gellert said, and he positioned himself between Albus’s legs. placed Albus’s legs on his shoulder, and slowly began to insert his pulsing dick into Albus. Albus’s eyes tightened in a grimace.

Gellert stopped, “Are you ok?” he asked startled at his partner’s expression.

“You’re a lot bigger than your fingers, I think we need more lubricating potion” Albus said with a slight chuckle.

Gellert quickly reached out his hand and the bottle he’d dropped on the ground came flying up to it. He poured out a large amount of the liquid and slowly pulled out what bit of himself was inside of Albus. He started by rubbing the slick liquid on his shaft, and then he massaged the rest of the lube onto Albus’s hole. He dropped the bottle again hopeful that they wouldn’t need it anymore.

“Let’s try this again, shall we?” Gellert said with a crooked smile.

“Let’s.” Albus said with a determined and transfixed gaze.

Gellert took his dick and slowly inserted into Albus. This time there was very little resistance and Albus moaned, “This is much better...”

Even though there was some pain, Albus felt a dull pleasure begin to make its way through his body. Gellert was methodical and deliberate as he continued to push his cock into Albus. Albus could see Gellert surveying him hungrily making sure that he was not in too much pain, and also relishing the little noises that emanated from him as the penetration deepened. It wasn’t long before Albus felt Gellert’s balls resting against his ass, and he knew he had taken all of him. Gellert paused to give Albus’s body time to adjust. Albus, not wanting the pleasure to stop, slow began to rock himself on Gellert’s cock and moaned as his prostate was massaged.

“Are you always this impatient?” Gellert groaned as he reached out and grabbed Albus by the hips to sync their push and pull rhythm.

“Are you always” a moan escaped Albus’s lips, “this cautious. I’m not made of glass. I promise I won’t break” he said with eyes alight with passion.

Gellert immediately stopped and looked at Albus surprised at the chiding. Albus could see in Gellert’s eyes that he was holding back in his fucking, and Albus was hungry for it all. The truth was that Albus was sick of being treated like he might break at any second. Because of all the tragedy that had befallen Albus and his family, people often treated him with an unnecessary level of tenderness. He didn’t need it. He didn’t want it, especially not from Gellert and not in this moment. If getting everything Gellert could offer meant teasing him, or pushing him along to get him there, he would do it.

Gellert squinted his eyes and cocked his head, “you sure you can handle it?”

“We won’t know until you give it all to me” Albus said. With a sharp nod, Gellert began to slowly pull out of Albus, alarming him. Had he offended him? Was he not going to fuck him?

“Shit!” Albus thought to himself “Why can’t I keep my mouth shut?”

“No I didn’t mean....” he started, but he didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence because Gellert immediately thrust his dick back into Albus’s hole with such force that Albus screamed in pleasure. He felt some pain, but the incantation Gellert had performed before they began and the lubrication eased the it and gave way to immense pleasure. Gellert’s strokes were rough and fast. His face contorted in concentration as he plowed Albus’s hole.

“Is this” ::thrusts::  “what you” ::thrusts:: “wanted?” Gellert’s eyes were wild with pleasure and something else Albus noticed, but couldn’t name.

His eyes were lidded and boring into Albus’s with a ferocity that almost scared him, but he didn’t care he was in nirvana. Every thrust was punctuated by Gellert’s balls slapping against Albus’s ass, which added to the coital cacophony of moans and grunts. Gellert became more frenzied as Albus’s hands found their way to his well sculpted ass and squeezed it.

“Don’t stop. Please don’t stop!” Albus’s plea was interspersed with nonsensical sounds of pleasure.

With his eyes closed, he didn’t know how much more he could take, but was willing to go for as long as he could to bask in the waves of pleasure that washed over him with Gellert’s every thrust.

“Look at me!” Gellert snapped as he continued his rough and rhythmic plowing of Albus’s ass. Albus’s eyes shot open and he was once again surprised at the intensity of the Gellert’s stare.

“I want to see what I’m doing to you” Gellert huffed.

“I want to see the pleasure in your eyes every time my dick slides deep inside you.” his voice was ragged and Albus got the sense the he was close. Hands still on his ass, he began to pull Gellert into him harder.

Albus had been so lost in what getting fucked was doing to him he didn’t feel his own hard dick bobbing on his stomach. He took his hands off Gellert’s ass and moved to touch himself, but Gellert slapped his hands away.

“No touching. I want to make you cum”

“But you can’t do that without....” Albus began to protest.

“No touching. Trust me.” Gellert said as he pressed himself into Albus so deeply that Albus’s back arched as Gellert’s dick head rubbed against his prostate.

Gellert did not pull out. He kept himself there and gently moved his hips sending shivers down Albus’s spine. Between the pent up tension of getting fucked and the consistent massaging of his prostate, it did not take long for Albus to feel his orgasm building.

“I-I’m close...” Albus said.

Gellert began to move again, but this time he was slow, deliberate, and deep. His hips did not pump, they rolled. His breathing steadied but the storm behind his eyes raged on. With every rotation of Gellert’s hips Albus felt the tingles of pleasure rising. Gellert’s pace sped up and his breath began to hitch. He leaned down to kiss Albus pressing their bodies together. Their tongues danced wildly as they both moaned into each other’s mouths.

The pressure of their two bodies along with Gellert’s hip rotations proved to be too much for Albus, he screamed as his orgasm crashed down upon him. Never in his life had he felt such an overwhelming sensation. It didn’t subside but built as as Gellert’s movements became more sporadic, overcome with watching Albus in the throes of pleasure, Gellert pulled himself out of Albus quickly, and let out a guttural cry of ecstasy. Spurt after spurt of cum flew out of Gellert’s cock and landed on Albus’s stomach mingling with his own.

Gellert collapsed on top of Albus with a grunt. His chest rose and fell rapidly as the exhaustion of their coitus took over them both. His heavy breathing tickled Albus’s light dusting of blonde chest hair causing Albus to squirm and giggle. Gellert lifted his head quizzically.

“Your breath tickles” Albus said smiling. “That was amazing.”

Rolling over onto his back so that he was laying on Albus’s left side Gellert nodded, “it certainly was. You weren’t joking when you said you wouldn’t break.”

“What can I say? I’m made of stronger stock than people think” Albus said cockily.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, I was still holding back” Gellert said with a smirk.

“You were not!” Albus said.

“I was not” Gellert assented with a smile as he sat up to put on his robes. Albus propped himself on his elbow, and said, “stay with me tonight.”

Gellert looked back at him and smiled.“Your wish is my command,” and he jumped back in the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are heating up with Albus and Gellert on any number of levels. I felt it was super important to highlight the conflict between the two men because attraction can do a lot of things, but it can't change ideologies. How will Albus navigate these differing opinions with the fact that he's quickly falling for Gellert? And how far is he willing to let his attraction take him?


	4. Chapter 4

There they stood, Albus and Gellert on a platform hand in hand with throngs of people looking up at them reverently. They seemed to radiate light and power as they soaked in the adulation of the crowds. Behind them a banner that said, “Welcome to the New Order.” 

The onlookers were smiling. Albus turned to his left and there was Gellert’s body but the light obscured his face. He moved his hand to block the light and see his lover’s face.

“Ow!” Gellert exclaimed.

“Why are you hitting me in the face?” he said with a chuckle. Grabbing Albus’s hands.

“I’m sorry, it was my dream. I couldn’t see your face so I was...”

“Hitting me until it appeared?” Gellert said with a laugh. Albus felt him turn over and suddenly his lamp was lit again.

“Well here I am. You can see me now.” Gellert said with a smile. 

“And what a sight it is.” 

It was early in the morning. The sun had barely begun rising. Its rays still laid low on the horizon casting various shades of purple across the sky’s surface. Albus suspected they had only been asleep for a few hours, but now, as he laid in bed staring up at the ceiling, he found that he was no longer tired. Apparently neither was Gellert because he got out of bed giving Albus the perfect view of his ass, and plucked “Tales of Beedle the Bard” from the  
desk and brought it back to bed with him. 

“What is your obsession with that book?” Albus asked incredulously. 

“I already told you ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’ is my favorite story. I love reading about the Deathly Hallows.” Gellert said without looking up at Albus as returned to the bed. His eyes were fixed on the pages of the book as if he had never read them. 

“What is it about them that fascinates you so much?” Albus inquired as he snuggled up close to Gellert who was sitting upright with his back on the bed’s headboard. He smelled of sweat which Albus assumed was a remnant of their fuck session, but there was a sweetness too. 

Gellert responded, “can you imagine being the wielder of the three most powerful magical objects known to wizard-kind? The one and only master of death. There would be no one who could defeat you, and nothing outside of your grasp.”

“Sounds like you’re planning world domination” Albus chuckled, but then he remembered everything Gellert had said at the beach and uncomfortably shifted. As much as he tried he could not shake the wild look in Gellert’s eyes when talking about where muggles should be in relation to wizards. 

As if on cue, Aberforth’s words, “be careful” echoed in his mind as if yelled from the opposite end of a long tunnel. 

Albus stealthily shook his head free of his brother’s warning. He knew that Gellert wanted to dominate muggles, but surely he wouldn’t use or even need the Hallows to do it. That’s if the Hallows even existed. Albus had been researching their legitimacy and though the Elder Wand was very well represented in the pages of history, there was nothing of the other two to suggest that they were anything more than figments of Beedle’s imagination. 

“What if you could only pick one?” 

“What’s the point of just having one?” Gellert asked looking at Albus with faux annoyance.  
“If you’re going to master death, you need all 3.”

“I know, but let’s say hypothetically. You can only choose one. After all, each brother only had one.” Albus said flirtatiously. He didn’t want to get any more insights into what Gellert wanted to use the Hallows for. He wanted the fun, sexy man who had just given him the best orgasm he’d ever had. 

“I guess I would pick the elder wand” Gellert said after thinking it through for a moment. Albus chuckled and slid his hands under the covers, down Gellert’s leg until he had found his semi-erect penis. “I think I could do the most with that than with the other two.” 

“I thought we established that you already had that one” he said as he felt the dick in his hands expanding to its considerable size. He immediately began to stroke its length causing Gellert to let out a low moan.

“You can’t seriously be ready for more sex. I thought I fucked you dry...” Gellert said in a low, husky voice, Leaning over and nipping at Albus’s neck. 

“Oh, Gellert. You’ll have to do better than that to sate me” Albus whispered into his ear. He slowly sucked on the lobe knowing it, along with the slow and steady stroke Albus was administering, would drive Gellert crazy. 

“Mmm... which one would you pick?” Gellert asked.

“Seriously? I’m stroking you right now and you still ask?” 

“You asked me first. It’s only fair that I ask you, isn’t it?” Gellert’s voice was strained as he tried to keep it casual to make it appear as if his partner’s hand wasn’t driving him into a frenzy. 

“Fine. I would want the cloak. To be invisible would be the ultimate protection, and the youngest brother lived the longest. He’s the one who actually beat Death so it seems like the natural choice.” Albus said absently. He had given this question a lot of thought, and wanted to dive in with Gellert but not now. 

“Invisibility, eh” Gellert asked with a small smile. “One could get into trouble if they couldn’t be seen.” He took Albus’s hand off his dick and slid himself out of the bed. 

“Especially since they can still be felt…”

“What kind of trouble?” Albus asked his now free hands stroking his own hard cock.  
Gellert turned around to face Albus with his wand in his hand.

“Why don’t I show you?” and twirling his wand around his body like he was lassoing himself, Gellert completely disappeared leaving Albus with nothing but a view of the sun’s rays growing brightly and more orange. Suddenly, as is by a strong gust of wind, the sheets of Albus’s bed were pulled off and Albus felt himself being pulled towards the foot of the bed. He was still laying on his back, but his feet were mere inches from the floor dangling off the foot of the bed. 

“Do you want me?” Gellert whispered. The voice felt like it was reverberating off the walls of the room. Albus knew he was in front of him, but not being to see him made the sound of his voice more elusive and the sexual fervor building inside Albus escalate. 

“Yes, please...” Albus said quietly. He wasn’t scared, he was anxious. He didn’t know what he was in for but he knew it would be good, and before he could do more than exclaim in shock, he felt his dick being enveloped in a warm mouth. 

The disillusionment charm Gellert had cast was so strong it was as if Albus was only feeling the sensation. Albus felt Gellert work the head of his cock with his tongue with such relish it was as he were sucking an ice pop during the heat of the day. 

The light suction noises were all that made it clear Gellert was there. It was such a mind fuck for Albus as he experienced an incredible blow job but couldn’t see the source. His mind struggled to reconcile the feeling without the sight. Is this what it felt like when Gellert wore the underwear he’d bewitched? 

To avoid this dissonance and just enjoy Gellert’s skills, Albus closed his eyes. 

Gellert kept up his ministrations for what felt like 8 minutes of nirvana when Albus shot up. 

“Oh my Meeerrrrlinnn” Albus let out as he felt Gellert deep throat his cock and hold at the back of his throat. Where had he learned that?

Albus lightly whispered “don’t stop!” His hips started to slowly buck and he felt the familiar tingle that signaled his impending orgasm. Gellert must have sense it too because his lips clamped down tighter and he increased the amount of suction he placed on the dick. 

Albus started bucking his hips more fervently, and soon he was screaming, “I’m gonna cum!”  
Gellert didn’t stop. He kept sucking and took all the cum that came from Albus’s cock. Albus shook with pleasure and let out a gasp when Gellert laid light kisses on his sensitive dick head. Then he felt the mouth leave his member, and Gellert reappeared wiping his mouth and smiling. 

“The amount of pleasure I get seeing what I do to you should be illegal.” 

“Not being able to see you was the weirdest and most erotic thing I’ve ever experienced.” Albus said breathlessly. In an instant the fatigue that left him when he woke up 30 minutes ago overtook him instantly. He yawned. 

“Looks like someone is tired again.” Gellert noted

“I want to make sure I take care of you before I go back to sleep” Albus said willing himself to stay awake long enough to give Gellert some relief. 

“Oh I was jerking myself off as I was watching you in the throes of my expert blow job skills. Like I said, watching what I do to you gives me more pleasure than I dare say” he said crawling back into bed next to Albus. And wrapping his arm around him. 

“Let’s get some rest. The sun will be up soon...” Gellert started but Albus was already sleeping.

***

Albus blinked and slowly opened his eyes to find brilliant sunlight filtering through his window. Groggily, he made a sweeping motion with his hands, heard the scrape of his curtains slide across the rod, and was shrouded in darkness once more.

“Hey! How am I supposed to read this in the dark?” Gellert protested.

“What could you possibly be reading this early in the morning?” Albus said trying to find where Gellert was.

“By the looks of it, it’s some sort of manifesto” he said, and began to read “‘The most important part of our dominance is that we convey the message that even though we are in charge, muggles are still at liberty to go about their daily lives as they did before. Consistency in structure with different leadership is paramount to the avoidance of rebellion.’”

It took a while for the words to register in Albus’s mind, but after a few moments he recognized them as his own. That is what he had written last night before Gellert had come over. 

“That’s not for you to read yet! It’s not ready” Albus squeaked as we reached for his wand. Finding it on floor he raised it high and said, “Accio!” 

“Hey!” Gellert exclaimed as the papers flew from his hands into Albus’s.

“It’s not ready. I wanted to make sure it all made sense before we spoke about it” Albus said quietly. 

“I’m confused. You seemed to be against the idea of wizard dominance yesterday and now you’ve written a treatise in support of it...” Gellert stated re-opening the blinds and flooding the room with light once more. 

Albus squinted as his eyes adjusted. 

“You wouldn’t be confused if you hadn’t read an early draft, and just waited until I talked to you about once things were more fleshed out. I thought a lot about what you said yesterday at the beach, and some of it resonated with me. My life would be much better if we weren’t forced to hide in the shadows. My mother wouldn’t be dead, my father would be here to take care of things and my sister... “ he paused,  “well, she would have never been attacked.” 

Albus knew that at some point he would have explain Ariana’s condition to Gellert, but things between them were fresh and it felt too soon to share such an intimate part of his life. 

“How about this?” Gellert began “I will send you a copy of what I have written and you can let me finish yours, and we can work on some sort of compromise between the two on which to build a plan.”

“Is yours very different than mine?” Albus inquired.

“Well... I am of the belief that non-magic peoples should be subservient to us and operate as such. We are superior in every way. Why not create a world where our superiority is felt and understood.”

“But that could leave some to be inhumane, couldn’t it?” Albus said concernedly looking up at Gellert who seemed unbothered by the prospect. He didn’t mean to sound naive, but also didn’t want to believe that Gellert’s desire for wizarding dominance meant that muggles would become slaves, or that force was necessary to bring about a new way of life. 

“There will be some dissenters. Those of non-magical parentage at Durmstrang were hell bent on remaining equals and had to be dealt with. Sometimes it was severe, but in the severity I think they found clarity about the order of things. They needed to understand that despite being gifted with magic, they were not born with it. I’m not saying they stole it, but they were raised as non-magic peoples until their admittance to Durmstrang. There are still so many things for them to learn outside of how to use magic, and those of us born into magical families should be the ones to teach them. Not as equals, for we are not, but as superiors with more experience which we have by virtue of being raised by magical parents.” 

Struck by the callous way with which he spoke about torturing his classmates, Albus stood up and, remembering his nudity, picked his underwear up from the ground and standing to meet Gellert’s gaze.

“You don’t mean to say you tortured them into submission...” But he knew the answer

“I do mean that” Gellert said. That same wild rage Albus had seen on the beach was rising to the surface. He looked directly into Albus’s eyes. 

“Albus, should we suffer under the delusion that they are going to come quietly? Or should we be proactive and make it clear what will happen to those who don’t agree with our demands?”

“This is...” but Albus couldn’t finish his thought. His mind was racing with arguments, concerns, and doubts. All he could do was pace the floor thinking hard about everything he’d heard when he suddenly realized something,  

“THIS is why you were kicked out of Durmstrang.”

It wasn’t a question. So many things about the beautiful man in front of him began to shift into sharp focus. 

Gellert exhaled exasperatedly. 

“They didn’t understand, Albus! All they saw was the process, not the result. They didn’t have the vision, but you,” Gellert gestured to the papers now resting on Albus’s bed, “you can see it. You said it yourself that we should be in charge. You said it yourself that things would be better if wizards, those with actual power, asserted ourselves over non-magical peoples” Gellert’s face was flushed with passion as he tried to convey his message to Albus. 

“I didn’t mean torture people until they believed what I believed!” Albus yelled. “Gellert, that’s barbaric, and makes us no better than tyrants, magical or otherwise. Yes, I understand what you’re wanting on a fundamental level, but we have drastically different ways of thinking about, what did you call it? ‘The process.’ I could never condone the torture of another human being, magical or not. Certainly not in any offensive capacity. That’s not the way to...”

“Then show me!” Gellert interjected. He walked over to Albus and grabbed him by the shoulders. 

“Albus, we can quibble about how we go about it, but let’s agree that we should do this together. You’re the most brilliant wizard I know. If anyone can help me figure this out, it’s you. Together, we can bring the wizarding world out of the darkness, and allow our light to be a beacon for everyone. We can make a difference.” 

Albus stood there thinking about everything that he had heard and said. It is true that he had a plan that, if executed properly, would bring about a change that could revolutionize the world. And with Gellert by his side, he would finally be able to bring change in more ways than anything he had ever written in “Transfiguration Today.” But what would it cost him?

Twice now he had seen Gellert’s temper, and his casual admission to torturing muggle-borns and muggles was disconcerting. Was there any hope in making him see that his methods are not only ineffective but inhumane? Looking in his eyes now though, Albus thought he could see something in Gellert that would make him malleable to Albus’s way of thinking. He thought of his sister again, and all that she had been put through. That steeled his resolve to make sure that, no matter what, he made the world better so that what happened to her wouldn’t happen again. 

“I will help you” Albus began, Gellert broke out in a wide smile and pulled Albus into a hug.

“But…” Albus continued pushing himself away from Gellert, “we will do this together.”

“Yes. Yes of course!” Gellert agreed jovially. “I will send you what I have written up and you can share what you’ve done and we will find a happy medium. Oh, Albus!” Gellert kissed him, pulled back looking him straight in the eyes, and said,

“You don’t know how happy this makes me.” The look of genuine joy on his face wiped away any doubt Albus may have had about Gellert, and caused him to smile as well. 

“Go home” Albus said laughing. “I have to make breakfast, and I’m sure your aunt is looking for you”

“Right!” Gellert exclaimed with a new start. He walked over to Albus’s desk, grabbed his wand and giving it a lazy flick summoned his clothes on to his body. 

“Can I take those home to peruse?” He asked pointing to Albus’s thoughts. 

“Yes, but remember they’re not fully thought out so don’t think less of me if they don’t make too much sense.” Albus said cautiously. 

“I could never think less of you, Albus” he said gently, and turned on the spot with a faint pop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again we find Albus and Gellert having to navigate their attraction to another with the growing realization that they see the world in drastically different ways. Though Albus seems content to make concessions, Gellert's desire for wizard domination seems to be more concrete. Who will prevail in getting the other to see things their way?
> 
> Full disclosure- The next chapter is sexless (I know! How could I??) but it moves the story along, and chapter 6 is all sex just hold on, hornballs! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus and Aberforth have a huge fight about the future of their family. Albus, reeling from his brother's accusations, takes some time to reflect on his relationship with Gellert and the price he's willing to pay to make it work.

“Someone had a good night” Aberforth said through a yawn. 

Albus turned quickly from the stove where he was making breakfast, and he felt the burning sensation rise to his cheeks. 

Aberforth snorted.

“What are you talking about?” Albus said forcing his voice to stay calm. 

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. You may have cast a silencing charm recently, but you _clearly_ didn’t re-cast it one he came over and…” Aberforth whistled “someone was really giving it to you. I’m just glad you didn’t wake up Ariana.” 

Albus blanched. He had forgotten that when he lowered the wards to allow Gellert the ability to apparate into his bedroom, the enchantments he had set up had all gone away. Not wanting to give his oversight away he just took a deep breath and kept the conversation going. 

“Did you not give her the nightly sleeping draught?” He asked, tapping the kettle causing steam to erupt from its spout. 

“I did, but the way you were carrying on...” Aberforth began.

“Where is Ari? Why hasn’t she come down for breakfast?” Albus quickly interjected. He didn’t like where this line of conversation was going and wanted to move on from it quickly. 

“She’s... she’s not doing well this morning. There was a bee that flew into her room and kinda set her off.” 

Albus turned quickly turned to him with concern, but Aberforth threw up his hands to calm him, “I talked her down. She’s better now, but I think it’s best I take her breakfast to her this morning. She’s still a little fragile.”

Albus bristled as he walked over to the table levitating the plates with eggs, bacon, and toast. 

“The problem is she’s anything but fragile. She’s more powerful than the two of us combined. She could blow this house away.” 

Aberforth nodded with an admiring smirk, picking up his fork and starting to eat. 

“So... you’re not going to tell me about how old Batty’s nephie-poo fucked your brains out last night?” Aberforth asked before sipping his tea. 

“No. I’m not going to tell you!” Albus exclaimed.  

“It’s none of your business. And for the record, I never ask  you about the villagers you bring home when you’re feeling lonely. Who was the last one? Oh... right! It was a couple wasn’t it? The barman from “A Bacchus’s Brewery”and his girlfriend?”

“Ok! Ok! Ok!” Ab said quickly “I’ll shut up about it.”

“Good!” Albus laughed. 

“But I do think you should be careful with that whole ‘wizards first business” Aberforth started.

Albus went white.

“You heard that?” 

“How could I not with...Gellert...” he said the name like it were hexed “screaming and yelling about how he tortured his schoolmates, and that muggles should be our slaves. I mean blimey, Al, I know muggles aren’t the brightest, but enslaving them seems to be a bit extreme, don’t you think?” 

“Yes... which is why I’m helping him see a better way to go about this that does not involve slavery of any kind.” 

Albus suddenly felt very guilty for even considering moving forward with the plan he and Gellert were hatching. He was not one to seek his brother’s validation, but that infernal warning Aberforth gave him kept ringing in his ears, and he hoped this conversation with him might quell the anxiety and concern that constantly bubbled up when Gellert shared his plans for the future of wizards and muggles.

He thought of how he might get his brother to see his perspective on this. 

“Have you....” Albus started slowly “Have you ever thought about what our lives would be like if Ariana had never been attacked?” 

He looked Aberforth directly in the eyes. There were the same beautiful shade of blue as his, like the sky on a cloudless day, but there was an intensity behind them that Albus’s did not possess. A seriousness that permeated so much of Aberforth’s thinking about things. He wasn’t like Albus who thought a lot but rarely worked hard. His brother had to work for the few things he’d accomplished, and the same intensity it took to earn those accomplishments was obvious as he gazed back at Albus quietly before saying, 

“I think about it everyday. Every time I look into her big eyes, and see the light those monsters stole from her. Every time I hold her in my arms telling her that it’s all going to be alright. Every time I walk past the spot where mother’s body laid lifeless.” His eyes filled with tears as he stared out the window at the garden he tended to in her honor. 

Albus had not seen this kind of emotion from Aberforth in quite some time. Come to think of it, the last time he had seen Ab like this was their mother’s service. His brother sniffled and wiped his eyes quickly as if coming back to the present. 

“Yeah, I think about it a lot.” his voice was low and determined. 

“And I know things would be much easier with both mum and dad here, but Albus, punishing muggles for the acts of a few is not only selfish, it’s _wrong_.” 

“It wouldn’t be punishment” Albus said softly, more to himself than to his brother. “We could _help_ the muggles. We have so many tools at our disposal that could assist them in their pursuits.”

“And you believe that Gellert shares your noble intentions? He asked with an intense stare. The storm clouds in his eyes were churning 

“Wake up, Al! Something is off about him. I told you that from the moment I saw him. I know you’ve seen it too. The look in your eyes right now is telling me that you have.”

“I--I’m going to give him a different perspective, Ab. This _can_ work. I know it can.” Albus said almost pleadingly. 

He couldn’t help but think about the alternative. He knew he could not go along with Gellert’s original plan, but he could not risk losing him either. He had finally found someone who understood him, and made him feel less alone. To lose him over ideological differences that could be easily altered seemed unnecessary. He would bring Gellert to his side. He had to. 

“And what about me and Ari?”Aberforth said his voice rising slightly as he got more irritated with his brother’s naivety.  

“Where do we fit into this plan of yours? Better question, DO we fit into the plan?” His anger was boiling over and his eyes grew wider.

“She can’t travel, you know that, and you said that I have to finish school. So, will you leave us here? How will the brilliant Albus Dumbledore take care of his family _and_ take over the world?” 

“Ab--” Albus started without really having an answer. He hadn’t thought anything about what he would do with his sister. 

He’d been so caught up with trying to get Gellert to see a better way, and now that they were finally on one accord he might be able to figure out other details. Seeing the truth in his eyes, 

Aberforth rose and said with a quiet fury, “You’re so selfish.” as shoving his chair back from the table and walking to put his dishes in the sink.  

“Selfish?!” Albus turned towards him riddled with guilt and a growing anger mostly at himself.

“I’m doing this _for_ you and Ari. Don’t you see? If we take ov-- restructure our relationship with the muggles we can finally be free to live our lives...”

“We are living our lives Albus. THIS is our life. You just don’t like it because you’re not getting praise you _think_ you deserve. You’d sooner leave me and Ariana here while you galavant off with your boyfriend to… what? Build a following???” Aberforth was gesturing wildly. 

The hurt he felt was etched on his face. He was working so hard to keep his voice low as to not disturb his sister in her room upstairs. She always hated when they fought.  

“Of course you don’t understand. You’ve never wanted anything in your life. I don’t know why I even started this conversation...”Albus got up and started towards the extra plate he’d made for Ariana. 

“I don’t understand?!” Aberforth hissed. “I understand better than anyone else under this roof. Mum and dad are dead, Albus, and you can’t be bothered to take care of Ariana. So who does that leave??” 

Albus tried to interject but Aberforth was too quick. He through his hand up to stop Albus and continued, “… no! you’re too busy working towards a new wizarding order. The truth is I don’t need you. I never have. I can survive on my own, but Ariana needs _someone_ here. And well... I guess that’ll be me. As always.” He grabbed the plate out of Albus’s reach.  

“I’ll take this to her. I should start practicing being the only caregiver though I guess that’s not too different from how things are now anyway. Why should you start pretending to care now?” 

He stalked out of the kitchen towards their sister’s room. 

Albus stood there breathing heavily. He wanted to be upset. He wanted to say that his brother’s words were lies, but deep down he knew that Aberforth was right about everything. He wanted to escape and saw Gellert as his way out. How could he be so foolish as to not consider Ariana’s state in his planning? There had to be a way that he could care for her while Aberforth finished his schooling and still work with Gellert on changing the world. 

There had to be a way! And he would figure it out because he wasn’t going to lose his family, or the man he was certainly falling for. 

Standing in the kitchen alone with his thoughts, Albus placed his half eaten plate on the counter and walked through the small hallway to the front of the house. He contemplated going to see Gellert, but realized that it had been so long since he had had time to himself to really think. So instead, he opted to go for a walk. 

As he exited his home, the family owl, Iris, flew through the open door with the day’s post. 

He gave her a gentle pet and told her “there’s food on the counter if you’re hungry…” taking the envelopes from her beak. She flew past him into the kitchen and landed gracefully next to the plate he had just sat down and began to pick at the remains of his breakfast. 

As he went through the mail, he noticed there was a letter from Elphias Doge. It was sent from somewhere in Romania. 

Albus opened it quickly excited to hear about what his dear friend Elphie had gotten himself into during his trip around the world. 

The letter read: 

 

_Dear Al,_

 

_I hope this letter finds you well, and that you, Aberforth, and Ariana are all adjusting to things. I’ve only just arrived in Romania three days ago and have had to make quite an adjustment both in my dress (it’s much cooler here despite being summertime) as well as my thinking about being a wizard. The rules here are much stricter than in Britain and I find myself constantly reminded of that fact when I wander into non-magical establishments and meet the Romanian wizard police to escort me out. They allow absolutely no mingling with non-magic peoples here in Romania, which I find absurd. But apparently within recent years there have been any number of attacks against the non-magic community here, and wizarding law enforcement believes that keeping us separate will reduce the likelihood that other incidents occur…_

Albus stopped reading the letter and is filled with a sense of dread that somehow, some way Gellert has something to do with these attacks against the Romanian muggles. He hasn’t been able to truly shake the hatred Gellert has for non-magical peoples, and this news from Elphias gives him pause. Especially since he knows that Gellert was expelled from Durmstrang for torturing muggle-born wizards for “not knowing their place.” 

Could it be that he is responsible for some, if not all, of these attacks that have led to changes in how wizards in Romania move and behave? Or is Albus’s own guilt about his plans to re-order the wizarding world along with the harsh albeit truthful words of Aberforth playing tricks on him and making him doubt the one person in this world who truly understands him? Feeling that answering these nagging questions was not imperative Albus continued reading the letter. 

_Romania is truly beautiful despite the numerous social strictures. The wizards here, though seemingly emotionally vacant are a very passionate bunch. I have met many a swerthy student from Durmstrang who has shown me a good time in and out of the pubs. The history of this area is also fascinating. There are interesting similarities between British and Romanian wizarding customs but the differences are worlds apart. Take for example wand making- we tend to rely on cores that are from unicorns or dragons whereas some of the Romanians use veela or thestral hairs as their wand cores. Strange, no? I wonder what old Olivander would say about that. Speaking of wand making, I went to Gregorovitch’s shop and a stranger man I’ve never known. He kept bragging about how he had the most powerful wand known to man. He kept showing me a symbol of a triangle with a circle in it and a line through the circle, and said that he had the “Elder Wand” which I guess was the line through the circle. It was so bizarre. I didn’t know what to make of it. He kept saying that it was one of the Deathly Hallows- whatever those are. I think I might have been losing things in translation. The man spoke very little English and his accent was very thick…_

Albus stopped reading and took a moment to catch his breath. The Deathly Hallows??? Like the ones from Beedle’s stories? It can’t be. Those are just fairy tales told to children to teach them lessons about life and the consequences of one’s actions. He knew the history of the Elder Wand could be traced by fairly reliable historical sources. Even Professor Binns talked about it briefly in History of Magic. But even in all of his research he hadn’t found anything about the resurrection stone or the cloak of invisibility being real. Is it possible that they are? The ones made by Death to defeat Death? It seemed far fetched. He would have to talk to Gellert about this. Surely, he would know about Gregorovitch. He must have made his wand unless there were many wand makers there. It sounds like he’s a fairly prolific wand maker in his own rite. Interested in what else Elphias had to say, Albus continued reading.

_I don’t know what to make of his claims, but the number of people who come into his shop requesting unbeatable wands suggests that people in this part of the wizarding world believe his claims and want that kind of power for themselves._

_I haven’t really gone around and seen many of the sights yet. I’m struggling to adjust to some of the altitudes in the mountains. I will be sure to write to you if I see anything interesting or worth noting. How I do wish you could be here with me on this journey. I just know that you would be taking in so much more than I, and probably teaching the locals a thing or two about magic. But alas, I understand your responsibilities and respect that you now have a family to take care of. A greater person I’ve never known as you Al, so I know that you are up to the task and doing a wonderful job at providing for your family._

_What’s going on with you? Anything interesting happening in Godric’s Hollow? Have you been working on any new projects? Made any new discoveries? I know you’ve been busy taking care of things at home, but I also know that you are not one to ignore the call of adventure when it rings._

_Tell me everything. I miss you and again hope you are well. Hope to hear from you soon._

_With love,_

_Elphie_

 

Albus put the letter on a side table in the hallway and leaned against the wall. He could have been on that trip, exploring the world, and seeing all kinds of things. Elphias was a great friend but he wasn’t as keen as Albus to learn about new cultures, languages, experiences. He relied on others to tell him how to think or what to believe. Albus couldn’t deny his jealousy. He was jealous that he couldn’t be out there exploring with Elphias as was their plan. 

He was intrigued by news of the attacks against muggles in Romania and wondered who was behind those attacks and whether they had any connection to the man he was coming to feel so strongly about. He didn’t want to believe that was possible but he had seen a darker side to Gellert and the etching of Aberforth’s “Be careful” were growing deeper in his mind. 

How could the man who has been so compassionate, empathetic, and compromising be the same who would commit such atrocities that would lead law enforcement to keep wizards and non-wizards a part? Albus refused to believe that Gellert’s desire for wizard domination would lead him to ruin the lives of others in such an egregious way. Was he being naive? Were his feelings for the man he’d only met a month ago clouding his ability to see what was right before his eyes? Normally he was able to see so clearly, but he had never felt this way about anyone before in his life. All the things that Gellert offered him, passion, glory, and, he cringed at the thought, love were making it difficult for him to see things for what they were. And when he did, he didn’t like what he saw. 

Albus shook his head. There was no evidence that any of what Elphias was experiencing was because of Gellert. The threads Albus was connecting were frayed at best. He needed to give Gellert the benefit of the doubt. After all, he was more than willing to work with Albus to restructure how he went about trying being order to the world. Someone who would commit crimes that would lead to such stringent laws would not be so malleable. 

It was this thought that Albus would hold on to as he walked out of his home and began to walk through to the village. 

He needed to clear his mind and think harder about some other things Elphias mentioned in his letter. Things like Gregorovitch and the Deathly Hallows. He just couldn’t believe that they were real, but why market having one of the famed Hallows if there was no proof that it was really an all powerful wand fashioned by the hands of Death? Yes, such acclaim would make business better but it’s also a dangerous claim given what the wand is said to be able to do, and how legend claims its true powers are unlocked-murder.

It was this, above all, that Albus wanted to talk to Gellert about, but that would have to be done later. He needed some time alone. He summoned his traveling cloak and walked out into the summer heat his mind heavy with thoughts. 

Though it was a hot day, there was a cool breeze and frequent clouds that brought solace from the sun’s relentless rays. The sky was a patchwork that hinted it might rain later on. Albus hoped for the rain. Something to wash away some of the humidity that seemed fixed in the air, he felt caught in it and other things. If only the rain could wash away the many thoughts plaguing his mental sky.  

Once he got into town Albus realized there were groceries to be purchased and other errands that had been neglected in the last month since Gellert had arrived. Getting food for the week and some of his brother’s things for school took his mind off of the numerous issues he was currently having at home, but once he had magically sent the groceries and packages home, his problems reappeared just as quickly as his parcels had left. 

He returned to thinking about how he was going to take care of Ariana while also traveling with Gellert to drum up support for their cause. He knew the two of them could make amazing changes by each others side, but having a sister whose traumatic past caused her magic to manifest in extremely volatile ways was not conducive to traveling, and there was no way that Aberforth would allow it to happen even if there was a way. 

Albus knew he had to think of a way to make this work. He kept telling himself that he wasn’t going to lose Gellert or the chance to bring change to the world. 

This line of thinking threw into sharp relief just what Aberforth meant when he talked about how selfish Albus was being. But he didn’t understand what it felt like to feel so isolated and helpless. Then again, Albus thought, his brother spent most of his time in the house with his sister or in his garden. So maybe he did have some sense, but was it to the same extent of Albus? He couldn’t imagine so.

It’s not as if Albus wanted to be selfish. He just wanted _something_ that was his, something he could contribute to society that he could take credit for. After all, isn’t that what the professors at Hogwarts had told him to do? “Do great things.” Well forgive him for thinking that buying groceries for his family didn’t qualify as doing great things. 

Not for the first time did Albus feel like everything was closing in around him, and he was going to have to settle for a life that was the exact opposite of the one for which he felt purposed. But how could he and Gellert go out getting support when he had Ariana at home needing him to be there for her? What was he going to do when Aberforth went back to school in a few months? A vicious thought of taking her to St. Mungos came into his mind. It would solve all the problems, and she would be taken care of. 

But as quickly as the thought came, the words of his mother followed.

“We cannot and will not let anyone know what happened to your sister. It’s bad enough our name is associated with your father’s crime. The last thing we need is a criminal and a suspected squib in the family. Do you want her locked away forever?? No? Then no one can know about your sister’s condition, no one. This is something that we will take care of ourselves.”  

But his mother was dead. The shame she never let any of them forget could die with her, and Ariana could finally get the care she deserved. Who cared if people found out what happened to her? Quite frankly she was a victim of an awful attack, why then should she be the one who has to hide at home instead of getting help? 

But the truth of the matter was that Ariana was so much more than a squib. She was some altogether different and altogether more dangerous. Would St. Mungos even help someone with her condition? And, Albus couldn’t shake the thought, would having a sister with her condition somehow hinder his and Gellert’s success in their quest to re-arrange the existing hierarchy?

As he continued to randomly amble through Godric’s Hollow hoping to shake off some of the heavier thoughts that were fixed in his mind, the memory of his mother and her words to him and Aberforth made him realize that he hadn’t visited his mother’s grave since her service. He decided to go over to the cemetery and see if inspiration for his problems appeared. His mother very rarely provided advice on how to navigate problems, but he always found her level of assurance helpful.

He walked past the Parish Church of St. Clementine, and heard the bells and realized it was noon. As he entered the cemetery the ring of the bells died away and he was left with the impenetrable silence only death could bring, and with that silence an overwhelming sense of guilt. 

He silently walked over to where they laid his mother to rest and stared at the tombstone that read Kendra Dumbledore (1850-1899). There was no epitaph because his mother wasn’t the kind of woman who had favorite quotes, she thought things like that were for muggles. 

He sat down on the ground, and stared at the stone, dark and cold, in many ways like people saw his mother. But they didn’t understand that she was simply trying to protect her children from the horrors of the world. She wanted them to have every opportunity she had been denied. Being muggle-born, his mother struggled to make friends at Hogwarts. It was a time where the number of muggle-borns was low and how it is that they came to have magic was still being understood. Though there were some who were kind, there were many who were wary of her. 

Albus believed this is why she often pretended she was half-blood, and why she pushed all her children to excel. He also believed this is why Ariana’s illness was so hard on his mother. She’d striven so hard to make sure that he and his siblings would be able to overcome any obstacle. It wasn’t that his mother didn’t love them, it was because she did that she was so unforgiving. The horrors of her own past that were never resolved influenced her mentality as a mother. 

As he sat there and thought about all the sacrifices both his parents made for him, his brother, and his sister he was overcome with emotion. Hot tears poured from his eyes as the summer heat bore down on him.  

“Why didn’t you tell me how hard this would be? How come you didn’t tell me about all the sacrifices you had to make so that I could be great?” He said his voice cracking.  

“I’m not strong enough to do this. I’m not wise enough to do this, mother. This is too much.” 

This was the first time he was giving himself permission to let everything he’d been holding in since her death out. 

“I want to go and travel with Gellert. I want to make you proud, I want to make sure that what happened to our family doesn’t happen to any others.” 

The tears were coming harder now and the gasps for air more pronounced. He felt out of control as he sat there in this cemetery talking to a silent stone. 

He had been putting off this kind of breakdown for so long now. He hadn’t even cried at his mother’s funeral. He was so wracked with worry about how they were going to survive without her that he couldn’t even bring himself to cry. This, he thought, was one of the pitfalls of being “the brightest student in Hogwarts history.” The inability to stop analyzing things, trying to figure it all out, and make sure that he was in control of the situation. No surprises. No stone unturned.  

But sitting there in front of his mother’s grave, he found the lost tears and they watered the cool dirt on the ground. After 15 minutes of crying freely, Albus found his breath coming easier again, and the tears flowing less and less. He quickly looked around to see if anyone was looking at him, but no one was.  

He was utterly alone. 

He felt utterly alone. 

“I miss you mother. So much.” He said with a final sniff as he stood up and dusted himself off. 

“I promise I will come and visit more.” He pulled out his wand and waved it across the ground where his tears had fallen. From the wet ground bloomed a line of irises of the deepest purple. They were his mother’s favorite flower. He took one more look at her name, gave a weak smile, and walked away. 

 

As he wandered through the gravestones he could not say he felt better, but he certainly felt lighter. The answers he needed concerning Gellert, Ariana, and Aberforth did not come from sitting at his mother’s grave, but the emotional release made him feel like he had the capacity to solve his own problems. He stared at the different tombstones and read the names on them. Some he’d known before their deaths, others were before he was even born. 

He wondered about the lives these people had led and legacies they hoped they would leave behind. Had they left legacies behind? Or had they, like him, had their lives interrupted by the cruel hands of fate? 

Being surrounded by so much death made Albus shiver. He knew it was inevitable, but didn’t want to think about it for himself for a long time. When death came to greet him, he wanted to be like the younger brother in the Beedle’s story and greet him like an old friend. 

As he continued his slow walk out of the cemetery, a symbol on one of the graves caught his eye. It was a triangle with a line and a circle inside of it. He stared at it thinking about where he’d seen it before. As he took in the symbol working hard to remember but feeling his mind was still recovering from the emotional upheaval of visiting his mother’s grave, he noticed the name “Ignotus Peverell (1214-1299)” on the stone. The grave was worn with age and the grooved lettering was both crude as though carved freehand by a wand and almost gone. 

Albus didn’t know anything about the Peverell family, but knew that symbol meant something. Then it hit him- he had only just read about the symbol in his letter from Elphias. He mentioned seeing it on the wall in Gregorovitch’s wandshop. It’s something to do with the Deathly Hallows. 

Upon this realization, Albus remembered all the things he wanted to discuss with Gellert, and the new emotional space he had filled up with excitement. This might be the thing that will help him get through all the issues he was facing. A new adventure. Something that he and Gellert could do together. Search for Hallows while building support for their new world. 

This new spark led Albus to skip the walk back home and apparate instead. 

Spinning out of the darkness and past the wards into his bedroom, Albus quickly summoned his copy of “Tales of Beedle the Bard” and the notes he’d been writing about them. He was going to apparate into Bathilda’s attic, but felt it would be rude to just pop in unannounced despite how excited he was to talk to Gellert about his recent discovery as well as what Elphias had written in his letter.

Suddenly, he heard a scream followed by a series of loud bangs coming from the room next to his, and his brother let out a shout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, this chapter is much more about Albus's character development than his relationship with Gellert. 
> 
> I felt like he needed to really get a dose of reality about what his plans to reorder the wizarding world would mean for his family. As I reflect on the Dumbledore we meet in the series he characterizes his younger self as selfish and caught up in his own brilliance, which I think also brings about the almost persistent naivety he displays in this story. His feelings for Gellert are new and they blind him to the things he sees before him. He is so analytical but also so idealistic that he refuses to see what is right before his eyes.
> 
> What I love about his relationship with his brother is that Aberforth is one of the few people who doesn't pull any punches and, because of his deep resentment for his brother, sees Albus for who he is. The juxtaposition between Aberforth and Gellert's perception of Albus is always in conflict with one another and I think Albus's own reconciliation of those two things along with his own self-perception make his own narrative more interesting and compelling. 
> 
> The next chapter takes us back to Gellert, which means it's going to be a sexy good time. ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus decides it's time to take control of his life, and Gellert presents him with the perfect opportunity to start.

Albus dropped everything he was holding, ready to run over to his brother’s room fearing that his sister had lost control again and accidentally hurt him, when he heard his brother say,

“FUCK! That feels amazing…” 

“Doesn’t it? You see Lizzie! He likes it. I told you he would.”

A gruff and unrecognizable voice that was accented with low desperate moans emanated from the room beyond. There was creak and another bang. Raucous laughter immediately broke out from what sounded like three people- Aberforth, the gruff man, and a woman.

 “Did we break your bed?” The woman giggled.

Suddenly struck by the fact that he was hearing his brother having a sexual encounter of some kind with, he assumed, the barman and his girlfriend again, Albus pointed his wand at the wall that separated their rooms, and whispered a few choice words that silenced the sounds from the next room.

“Good for Aberforth,” he thought.

While he didn’t want to hear anymore of what was going on in the next room, he was glad that his brother was able to enjoy himself despite almost exclusively taking care of Ariana everyday. That was one of the things he secretly admired about Aberforth- his ability to take control of his life and do what he wanted when he wanted without much concern for what others thought of him. He never let social conventions stop him, and he always found a way to make things work no matter the obstacle. If he wanted something he went after it. 

Albus never thought he’d have anything to learn from his brother, but Aberforth’s general tactic of taking control of his life was something Albus felt he could learn from. He was so used to being told what to do and how to position himself for success that he very rarely felt that he was in control of what was happening in his own life. From an early age, upon discovering his extraordinary magical gifts, his mother played a heavy hand in what courses he took in school and had his future planned out all the way until he was the youngest Minister for Magic in living history. 

Though Albus appreciated his mother’s confidence in him he felt that her absence in his life might be the sign that he needed to make different choices for himself. Maybe it was time for a change. Perhaps the work he and Gellert were planning could be a chance to finally have control over his life and, more importantly, his legacy. His trip to visit his mother’s grave, though not helpful in solving his problems as to what he should do with his brother and sister while he and Gellert were traveling, did make it clear that he did not want to end up in that same graveyard having accomplished nothing. He was sure the work he and Gellert were planning would be the legacy he wanted to leave behind, and intended to make sure it would be.

Speaking of the boy next door, stumbling in on Aberforth’s dalliance made him temporarily forget what he was doing. He quickly waved his wand to collect all the things he had dropped on the ground.

Deciding it would be rude to apparate directly into the attic, he decided to it the old fashioned way.

***

Albus knocked on Bathilda’s door three times before it opened. There stood Gellert without a shirt on. His time in Godric’s Hollow had given him a touch of color and his once pale skin now had a pinkish tint to it that made his eyes shine and his blonde hair seem brighter.

“Oh! It’s you.” Gellert said surprised to see Albus standing at his front door. “Why didn’t you just come to the attic?”

“I didn’t have time to let you know I was coming. My uh- brother has some uh— guests over right now and I needed to get out of the house fairly quickly.” Albus said, heat rising to his face thinking about what he had heard coming from his brother’s room.

Gellert laughed. “Good for Aberforth! It’s good to know that people in this town do more than just gossip about who’s who and what’s happening on page 6 of the Daily Prophet.”

“Yes, bully for Aberforth!” Albus said with a roll of his eyes. “Can I come in… or… are you busy?”

“Of course you can!” He appraised Albus and something flashed in his eyes.

“Or we can just…” Gellert pushed himself against Albus, and before he knew it they were making out in the doorway with Gellert’s hands steadily making their way between Albus’s legs.

“I just realized I haven’t seen you in ages” Gellert said huskily breaking away from the kiss, his hands softly and slowly massaged Albus’s crotch.

“I saw you yesterday” Albus said with a chuckle and a slight moan. He couldn’t touch any part of Gellert because he was pinned to the doorframe and holding his book and papers.

“That feels like years ago. I had to fight the urge to put on your special underwear this morning. I was craving you, but I refrained in hopes that I might see you today. I can’t get enough of you.”

He slid his hands into Albus’s underwear and started to stroke his now throbbing dick. Albus let out a groan. He was really enjoying this. Then, a gentle breeze blew through the door reminding him that they were still in open doorway to Bathilda’s house.

“Why don’t we take this up to the attic? It won’t do for all the neighbors to see us here like…” at that moment Gellert rubbed his thumb over the head of Albus’s dick and he squirmed. “this.”

“Who cares about them? Let them see. It’s more action than most of them have gotten in ages, I expect. Why not give them a show? Gellert slowly lowering himself to his knees and pulling down Albus’s underwear.

“Gellert” Albus hissed “what are you do— ah!” He didn’t get the rest of the words out before Gellert’s mouth had completely engulfed him. For the second time in less than a quarter of an hour he dropped his books and his papers on the ground.

Even though Gellert’s mouth was magical, something about this didn’t feel as good as it could have for Albus. He wanted to be in the attic with no one watching, just him and Gellert having their way with one another. He didn’t feel like sharing, or giving some old hag coming home from a midday drink a show. He wanted Gellert all to himself. The thought of anyone seeing this beautiful boy taking his dick in his mouth made Albus indignant.

Gellert noticed. He pulled Albus’s dick from his mouth.

“Is everything alright? You don’t look like you’re enjoying this…" 

“I am, but I would enjoy it more ifI had you all to myself. To do with what I please. I’m not in the mood to share.”

Resolving to take this as a moment to take control of the situation, he slowly pulled his dick from Gellert’s mouth with a soft _pop_ and said, “we’re taking this upstairs…” He made sure it was a statement and not a question. He did not want to leave any room for debate.

To make his intentions clearer, he pulled up his underwear and extended his hand to Gellert who was pouting a little bit. 

“You’re no fun!” He said taking Albus’s hand and getting off of his knees. “No one ever comes down this road. No one would have seen us.” He began, but Albus put a finger to his lips to quiet him. 

“This is…” he inched closer to Gellert’s face and nipped at Gellert’s lower lip and leaned to his ear.

“…what I want.” Albus grabbed Gellert’s dick and rubbed it bringing out a low hum from him.

 “ _I_ want you upstairs, in that attic. _I_ want you all to myself so that _I_ do whatever I want to you.”

“O-ok.” Gellert said softly.

 “Good.”

And Albus turned and bent down to grab his book and papers he had dropped. He made sure his ass rubbing against Gellert’s pertruding member to signal that their moment wasn’t over, just being relocated.

Gellert went to grab his hips, but Albus quickly moved out of reach.

“No no no….Upstairs.” He said commandingly pointing in the direction he believed the attic to be.

“Someone is feeling bossy right now, and I must say, I like it.” Gellert said as he closed the front door, moved past Albus, and lead the way to the attic stairs.

He was right.Albus was taking what he wanted, and as he watched Gellert’s muscular ass bounce as he ascended the stairs in front of him, his dick stayed erect, and he knew he hadn’t gotten everything he wanted just yet. 

Once they got to the attic, Gellert stopped in front of his bed and turned to face Albus.

The room was organized differently than the last time Albus had been there. The bed was in the center of the room instead of off in the corner as it was on his first night. There was now a desk on the wall that was opposite the bed. Albus gazed at it and noticed the draft he had given to Gellert sitting there with what appeared to be notes on them. The room was well lit owing to the large window that was to Albus’s right. The same window in which Gellert had performed his mirroring spell on Albus. The thought of that brought Albus back to the moment, and he looked at Gellert who was staring at him appraisingly like he had the day they first met.

“So what do you want, sir?” Gellert asked stretching out the last word. Almost as if Albus’s assertiveness was a fluke. 

Albus was thrust back to their first night in this attic when he and Gellert were playing chess. Gellert had that same glint in his eye as if to say “You may think you’re in control but I’m pulling the strings…” Albus wasn’t going to let him pull any strings this time, but the thought did give him an idea.

Albus, saying nothing, turned to Gellert, pointed his wand at him, and pulling it backwards like the bow of a bow and arrow disappeared Gellert’s underwear. The now nude man stumbled forward with the force of the spell. 

“Oh. I see, you—” he started, but Albus rapidly twirled his wand in the air and wrenched it upwards.

Gellert’s wrists shot together, and he gasped as they shot up in the air and he was levitated as if being hung up by his wrists. The spell provided a kind of weightlessness so that Gellert’s arms weren’t strained, he just was not able to move them

“Th-this is what you’re wanting?” Gellert stuttered out. He was clearly surprised but as he said downstairs, and what his stiff bouncing dick made clear, he like it.

“It is. Are you ok?” Albus asked. He wanted this to be a pleasurable experience for both of them.

“Absolutely. Looking at your face is turning me on like crazy. You look possessed with power.”

In truth, Albus was. He had this very heady feeling that he was going to be able to do whatever he wanted, and Gellert was willing and ready to go along for the ride.

“You’ll tell me if anything is uncomfortable.”

“I seem to remember a certain someone saying to me not too long ago ‘I’m not made of glass.’ Any idea who that might have been? It escapes me… but either way, the same applies to me.” Gellert said flirtatiously.

“It’s funny how even suspended in midair by your wrists you still manage to be a smart ass…”

“What can I say? Some of my gifts have nothing to do with wands. That one…” he jerked his head to the wand that lay on the desk behind them. “Or this one” he looked down at his hard penis and it started bouncing.

Albus rolled his eyes. He wasn’t going to grace any of that with a response. He didn’t want Gelletr’s inflated ego to get any bigger. Chuckling, he did a circular sweeping motion with his wand and all his own robes vanished.

He dropped his wand on the ground. He wouldn’t need it for what he was about to do.

He slowly walked over to Gellert’s body as it hung there in the air, his navel sitting level with Albus’s mouth. Albus started to rub his nose on that area. Gellert began to squirm. He smelled of soap as if hehad just finished bathing when he’d answered the door. Albus breathed him in deep and laid light kisses on his abdomen.

“I think you need to go a bit lower…”

“ _I_ think you’re forgetting who’s running this show…” Albus shot back with a lustful and dark look. He bit some of the hair on Gellert’s stomach and lightly pulled. There was a slight intake of breath.

“Do I need to conjure a gag for you?” Albus said.

“Would that make you happy?” Gellert asked, and Albus knew that the man before him would consent to it if he, Albus, said it would make him happy.

The feeling that Gellert was willingly giving himself over to Albus woke something inside of him. Knowing that no matter what the power dynamic between them, Gellert’s concern was Albus’s happiness, made lust break over Albus in a wave that surprised even him. He wanted this man. He raised his hand and thought a quick incantation, and Gellert ascended 4 more inches into the air leaving Gellert’s bobbing dick right at Albus’s lips. He kissed the tip.

“Now… what were you doing to me before we came upstairs?? Oh yes…” He said playfully grabbing hold of Gellert’s shaft and slowly taking it into his mouth. He swirled his tongue around the head and didn’t stop until he felt it hit the back of his throat. He hummed a low and satisfied tone that reverberated through Gellert’s dick causing him to cry out, 

“Holy fucking Morganaaaaa!” His body squirmed but the magical restraints left him unable to move any more than that. Albus looked up at him as he continued his oral onslaught.

Gellert saw that there was a fire behind his eyes that was a mix of lust and adoration.

Gellert was overcome, and Albus loved seeing him being driven crazy by the mere flick of his tongue or the slight increase in suction. It was intoxicating to know he was the one who was making him feel this way. He loved even more that he couldn’t move or take control, he was clay in Albus’s hands.

The taste of Gellert’s pre cum was driving Albus wild. He wanted to savor every morsel of him, but knew he could end it all much sooner than he intended with just this one act, but he wanted to drive Gellert wild and make him beg for more when he was done with him. 

As the image of what was next began to unfold in his mind, Albus pulled off and smiled up at his lover.

“What should I do next?” Running his fingers back and forth over Gellert’s torso bringing about more squirming.

“Should I finish you off like this? Hmmm??” He kissed the head of Gellert’s dick again which was pulsating and leaking pre-cum.

He shook his head.

“No. Too easy.” He punctuated each of those words with a wet kiss on Gellert’s dick head.

He began slowly walking around Gellert’s taut body and inspecting it. He reached out a lazy hand and caressed his left calf muscle giving it a squeeze. He stopped his inspection staring right at Gellert’s ass. He leaned in and bit one of his cheeks, and Gellert moaned.

“Oh. We like this…”

“Very much so…” Gellert sighed.

Albus started little bites moving toward the center of Gellert’s ass. He briefly paused and then spread both of Gellert’s cheeks and lightly licked his hole. The sounds that left Gellert’s mouth was one of surprise, pleasure, and anticipation.

“Ohhhh… don’t stop.” He groaned.

Taking that cue from him. Albus began his exploration with more intensity enjoying the way Gellert’s body responded to his tongue. To keep things interesting, Albus reached his hand around Gellert’s body and began to stroke his cock. He knew this had the potential to send Gellert over the edge and decided that he wouldn’t keep it up for too long. The sheer amount of pre-cum emanating from Gellert was proof of the fact that Albus didn’t have much more time before his lover was going to explode. He pulled away from Gellert’s ass and ceased his stroking.

“I think it’s time to move on to the main event…” He slapped Gellert’s ass hard as he walked around his body to face him. The look on his face almost frightened Albus. It was dark and carnal. His eyes alight with fire, his mouth slightly opened with audible breaths escaping every few seconds as if he were trying hard to stop an internal eruption. Small beads of sweat were forming at the top of his forehead.

“What are you planning to do to me next?” Gellert asked in a deep whisper.

Albus decided that words needn’t be spent explaining what was next. He would show his beautifully bound man. He turned his back to him and walked to where he left his wand. He took his time and made sure to switch a little. He knew his tease worked when he heard a little growl from Gellert.

He bent over slowly to pick up his wand. While fully bent over he turned his head back to look at Gellert and winked.

“You are diabolical.” Gallert said with a sly smile.

“You haven’t seen the worst of it”

Gellert did a quick inhale as Albus stood up, wand in hand and walked right past him. As he moved Gellert’s body, still suspended, began to follow him towards the bed. Albus did a flicking motion with his wrist and Gellert’s body was thrown onto the bed back down with a soft _flump._

Not wanting to give him any time, Albus pointed at each of posts on the bed, made a large X shape with his wand, and muttered _mobilicorpus._

Gellert’s hands shot apart and stretched out towards the corresponding bedpost. His legs did the same thing.

There he laid, his body exposed in all its glory. His hands and feet both bound invisibly to the posts of the bed. The sunlight shone on his slightly tanned skin which now had a sheen of sweat. His stomach rose and fell slowly as the anticipation of what was to come kept his heartrate accelerated.

Albus walked up to the bed where Gellert sat looking at him. Words seemed to fail him in this moment, and Albus got turned on by the sheer surprise on his face.

_“Accio”_ Albus said softly. His eyes didn’t leave Gellert’s.

Out of a cabinet in the far corner to the right of the bed came the lubricating potion Gellert had use on numerous occasions. It flew into Albus’s outstretched hand.

“Are you going to fuck me?” Gellert asked softly. He didn’t seem afraid but he was definitely unsure of what was to come.

“Not today.”

Albus let out a slight chuckle at the look on Gellert’s face. He was so confused. Still feeling no need to explain what was going to happen, Albus walked up to the edge of the bed and placed his wand on the chest that sat at the bed’s edge.

Backing up a little so Gellert could see what he was doing, Albus squeezed some of the bottle’s contents onto his hand and began to massage it into his asshole. He slid one finger in and began to pull it in and out. His eyes were fixed on Gellert whose mouth was agape and his breathing ragged. He struggled against the invisible bonds wanting so bad to touch his throbbing dick which was standing at attention, or go to Albus, but he couldn’t. He was forced to control his urges and just watch in a lustful haze as Albus slowly fingered himself.

 “What was the spell you used to relax me when you fucked me last night?” Albus asked through a moan. He did not stopping the slow in and out movement of his finger.

“Um…” Gellert shook his head trying to concentrate on something more than what Albus was doing to himself “ _Corpus Cessabi”_ he muttered.

Albus nodded, touched his bare stomach with his other hand and uttered the words. Immediately he felt the warming sensation wash over his body.

All his limbs relaxed and his hole became looser. He slipped another finger in and with a low moan he continued fingering himself. His dick was so hard it ached, but he knew what he was about to get would be worth the agony of teasing Gellert for so long.

The foreplay was meant to work Gellert into a frenzy, but Albus found himself just as eager for the sweet release he knew was inevitable. Feeling the same impatience he always felt when it came to having sex with Gellert, he walked back to the bed.

Lube still in hand, he slowly crawled in between Gellert’s spread legs and licked his dick which was practically vibrating after all the teasing Albus had done. Not wanting to delay what he wanted, he continued to crawl up Gellert’s body slowly kissing his way up from his navel and giving his nipples little bites. He straddled Gellert’s stomach and could feel his dick against his back.

Albus leaned down and licked Gellert’s lips. Gellert met his tongue with his own and they began kissing in a carnal animalistic way. Their lust for one another rose off their bodies like mist off hot rocks and they reveled in it.

Gellert pulled against the constraints trying to take as much of Albus into his mouth as he could. Albus, not wanting to cum from the mere touch of their bodies, pulled back, poured more potion onto his hand and reached behind him and rubbed it onto Gellert’s cock.

Gellert let out a low groan as Albus massaged the potion onto his body.

Once satisfied, Albus lifted himself into a squatting position and moved his body back so Gellert’s dick was right at the entrance of his ass. He looked into Gellert’s eyes and slowly lowered himself onto the shaft. Though there was some discomfort, Albus’s body seemed primed and ready for Gellert’s sizable dick this time and the adjustment was not quite as belabored as the night before.

Gellert’s eyes were huge as Albus’s body lowered itself onto his length and once Albus began the up and down motion, it was all Gellert could do not to scream out. The sensation of Albus’s warm tightness wrapped around his dick was all consuming. The feel of it was all the more heightened because of the foreplay leading up, the anticipation for what his lover was going to do to him.

Not being able to touch him or guide Albus’s hips, but merely feel what was being done to him was a position Gellert did not find himself in often, and Albus knew that. It was the power he felt every time he went up and down on Gellert’s cock and saw the sheer ecstasy on his face that made Albus start bouncing harder on the dick. He felt Gellert hitting his prostate and the sensation coupled with the way Gellert started saying his name was exhilarating.

He began to buck his hips forward and backwards as he his orgasm grew nearer. He leaned down and kissed Gellert who moaned into his mouth and though he could not move his hands he realized he could still thrust his hips and began to do so with abandon. Albus met those thrusts with frenzied energy as Gellert pushed his hips up as hard as he could hitting Albus’s pleasure spot.

The smack of their skin reverberated off the walls of the room with each thrust of Gellert’s hips and added to the sexual symphony of their fucking. Sweat was pouring off their bodies as the heat of the summer day was magnified by the large attic window making the attic sweltering. But the men didn’t care. They were so enveloped in one another that nothing around them, not the heat, not the noise, nothing, pulled them out of the moment.

“Holy shit!!” Albus screamed as he threw his head back on one of Gellert’s thrusts.

“Ahhh!” Gellert let out a scream as Albus bent down and bit his neck hard.

Albus quickly sat back up and continued bouncing, enjoying the feeling of Gellert’s dick stretching him and filling him in the best ways imaginable.

“Fuck me, Gellert! Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.” He began moving his hips and bouncing on his dick in earnest. He wanted to feel everything Gellert could give him. He was insatiable.

“Albus… you are…” but what he was Gellert never said because at the moment Albus clamped down his hole on Gellert’s dick and he exploded inside of him.

Albus didn’t stop even though he felt his hole fill with Gellert’s cum. He was close too and he wasn’t going to stop until he came. Gellert understood and let out a guttural growl as he pounded Albus hole with all the force he could muster. It didn’t take long before Albus was screaming so loudly the neighbors could probably hear him and he reached an incredible orgasm that was punctuated by shot after shot of cum spurting out of his cock.

Out of breath he slowly pulled Gellert out of him, held his hand up to summon his wand, and though he barely had a voice after screaming it raw, he found enough of one to whisper “ _finite”_ disappearing Gellert’s bounds. 

Upon his release, Gellert pulled Albus to him and kissed him so hard it was like he was a Dementor trying to suck the soul out of him. He pulled back and said,

“That was the single best sex I’ve ever had in my life” he gasped.

“Me too.” Albus said with a smile. “Me fucking too…”

“Who knew you had that in you… Merlin, Albus that was intense. I’m exhausted.”

“You?? You didn’t do anything” Albus chuckled as he pointed his wand at Gellert’s chest to stop the copious amounts of cum from sliding onto the covers. With a quick charm it was disappeared and Albus fell to the bed still trying to catch his breath. Gellert fell back to lay next to him,both of them spent.

Both of them thoroughly satisfied.

“Next time you tell me to come up to the attic. I won’t hesitate. That’s for sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you. ;) 
> 
> Albus's trip to graveyard makes one thing clear to him- in order to leave behind the legacy he thinks he wants to leave, he has to take control. While messing around with Gellert isn't going to make people remember him in a meaningful way I think it is a step in a direction that will force him to consider the true nature and danger of power and legacy.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus and Gellert research the whereabout of the Hallows in the local archives. But a bored Albus decides to take matters into his own hands, feet, and mouth...

_Not much is known of Ignotus Peverell as most of the archives’ records from the early 13_ _ th _ _century and before were lost when fiendfyre swept through the village after Cassio Bogdin, a self-proclaimed alchemist, lost control of one of his experiments and sent a fiery horde of dragons through the village destroying everything in their path. What remaining records do indicate is that Peverell was a pureblood wizard born in 1214. He was one of three brothers all of whose graves can be found in Godric’s Hollow. Though all three brothers were laid to restin the village, where they were born, only Ignotus is known to have actually lived here since his brothers died earlier in life. It has been said by numerous sources that Ignotus was a humble and kind man who used his considerable magical talents to make Godric’s Hollow the place it is today. He is credited with enchanting many of the village’s buildings to become invisible when unwanted guests (in those days muggles), came. Sources also tell us that Ignotus was married, though to whom is not widely known, and had a son of whom local historians have been able to find nothing. Our records do show that Ignotus’s granddaughter, Iolanthe, may very well have been the last to ever carry the Peverell name and upon her marriage to Hardwick Potter the name…_

 

“Would you stop that!” Gellert chuckled putting down the parchment he had been reading. 

“Stop what?” Albus asked with mock innoncence as he continued to massage Gellert’s crotch with his foot under the table in the musty basement of the Godric’s Hollow archives.

“That!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about… finish reading” Albus whispered biting his lip.

“It just says the Peverell name died out.” Gellert said in a low tone, throwing the papers aside and pressing his hardening dick into Albus’s foot.

“Damn. That’s all? That’s really nothing to go on. Not much new than the notes you brought with you.”

“I know.” Gellert said closing his eyes as he continued to enjoy what Albus was doing to him.

The men had spent the better part of July’s first 7 days looking for books on the Peverell family. After Albus shared what he had learned from his letter from Elphias and his time in the graveyard with Gellert, they had become obsessed. Through their numerous conversations about what Albus had found, he learned that part of Gellert’s decision to come to Godric’s Hollow was to learn more about the Peverell family.Unlike Albus, Gellert believed that _all_ the hallows were real, ready for the taking, and was on hellbent on finding them and using them all. 

Albus, was more hesitant to place so much faith in a fairy tale and a few historians writing about 9th century wizard with alliterative names and a penchant for bloodshed. Of course, based on the history of magic, he knew of the existence of a powerful wands that had ruined the lives of many, but didn’t believe that any of these wands were snatched from an Elder tree by the hands of death. It was probably just a normal wand wielded by powerful wizards. Wandlore was a strange and intricate form of magic to begin with and though the annals of history made claims about wands used by Emeric the Evil and Egbert the Egregious, there is no proof that it is the same wand. And there was certainly no proof that Gregorovitch had somehow gotten his hands on the wand.

But Albus’s skepticism was wiped away by the sheer excitement Gellert had shown when he told him that he would join him in trying to gather as much information about the Hallows. He believed that with all three of the Hallows he and Albus could bring their goals of reordering the wizarding and muggle worlds to fruition quicker. It was his incessant belief and the obsession with finding them that started to make Albus feel like they might be real. Gellert was just as smart and rational as him. If he could believe that such powerful objects are real, why couldn’t Albus?

Since the moment Albus said “yes” to seeking out and finding the Hallows for their “glorious revolution,” there had been little talk of anything else. Gellert’s obsession which he seemed to have diminished as to not put Albus off was now in full bloom. There was a glint in his eyes that was both endearing and sometimes scary when Gellert talked about how he would use the Hallows if he ever possessed all 3. 

Albus thoughtdistinctly of a particularly worrisome moment during a conversation they had a week ago after he had had his way with Gellert in his attic room, and he had told him about the symbol on Ignotus Peverell’s grave and his letter. 

“We would truly be unstoppable if we had all the Hallows” Gellert had said smiling to himself while looking up at the ceiling. He was laying next to Albus, naked with the glint of sweat on his body.

Albus could tell by looking at him that he was seeing them together ruling over the world. Admittedly, he too had thought of this often though he was, admittedly, less concerned with the Hallows. He and Gellert were exceptionally talented wizards with no need for anything other than their wits, talent, and each other as far as he was concerned. He just wanted to be with Gellert.

“I can understand the appeal of the Elder Wand, but what would we even do with a resurrection stone?” Albus had asked.

“We could bring back those we lost.” It was as if he had performed legilimency on Albus, for this was what he wanted more than anything in the world. To be unencumbered by responsibility. To bring back his mother who could, even in a suspended state described in Beedle’s tale, resume care of Ariana while he was away with Gellert. The resurrection stone not only served as a means to resurrect loved ones but his former life, and with it birth a new future for him and the beautiful man next to him.

“We could… I don’t know…” Gellert continued casually, “make an army of dead people to fight against those who would stand up to us…”

Albus shot up and looked at Gellert intently.

“You’re not serious!? An army of Inferi??”

His eyes were wide with fear. As far fetched as it sounded, Albus knew there was a dark side to Gellert and though he often chose to ignore it, recognizing it as some remnant of past trauma, raising the dead? That was going too far.

“No…” Gellert took his eyes off the ceiling and looked at Albus’s pale visage. “Of course not, Albus. That would be insane.” He let out a light laugh. 

“Besides…” he started cautiously “…we wouldn’t need the army anyway, not with the Elder Wand…”

He laughed at Albus’s reaction and told him he worried too much. He assured him that in the past few weeks, Albus had had an effect on him and he was beginning to see the merits of a more peaceable transition of power.

But there was something in the way he looked at Albus that told him his intention to use the resurrection stone, if it was indeed real, to raise the dead was truly something he had considered. Albus decided that his concern coupled with Aberforth’s ever-present warning were causing him to read more into Gellert’s word than was his intention. Not to mention, Gellert had said his guidance was working. As he had suspected and hoped, his urging for a less aggressive way to bring a new kind of balance to the world was working as he knew it would given the opportunity.

Changing the subject quickly to assuage Albus’s obvious concerns, Gellert said, “But we will need to go a lot of research. Durmstrang didn’t have a lot of resources to help me fill in the gaps about where the Hallows might be. What I do know is that the Peverell brothers have something to do with this and this is where they were born, I’m hoping that we can find something here.”

“Why don’t we just ask your aunt? She’s one of the most celebrated magical historians in Britain. Every student at Hogwarts reads her work. She’s prolific, and she’s right down stairs.”

“I don’t want her to know what we’re up to. She’s too nosy for her own good. This is our business and the moment she finds out is the moment 3/4 of the village knows we’re looking for Hallows. We don’t need her. We’re smart enough to figure this out without her help.”

So here they were 7 days later looking at very delicate pieces of parchment that detailed the villagers of Godric’s Hollow and their lives. Albus’s foot now stroking Gellert’s dick, and the latter trying to pull himself together to continue researching.

“If you keep that up, we’re not going to get anything done today.”

“Would that be so bad?” Inquired Albus who was giggling as Gellert tried hard to gather all the parchment, but ended up dropping some under the table as Albus’s foot caressed his dick’s head.

Truth be told, Albus was bored. They weren’t getting any information from these archives. The Peverell family as just as much of a mystery now as they were 7 days ago. The only thing they had to even connect them to the “Tale of the Three Brothers” was that there were three brothers and the symbol of the Hallows on Ignotus’s grave. He had hoped that spending time with Gellert would be as fun as they had in their bedrooms- the good conversation, the flirting, but it turned out to be like preparing for his N.E.W.T. examinations. 

Gellert let out a low moan. “Come on, Albus. We’ve got at least 4 more volumes of genealogies to look at, and we might see if the local bookstore has something we can use.”

Albus pulled his foot back from Gellert’s crotch and pouted.

“You’re no fun!”

“I know, I know. But I promise I will be once we get through all of this. Could you grab those papers you made me drop? I’m trying to get these manuscripts organized before I put them back in the stacks. You know how Penelope gets when we take things out and don’t put them back properly.”

 Albus rolled his eyes.

“If you’re not going to be respectful to the space, then you can leave it.” They said in unison using a high pitched voice to mimic the archival expert who had been giving them hell every day they came in.

“Sure. I’ll grab them for you. Let’s try to avoid another tirade about the importance of organization, if possible” Albus quipped.

He lowered himself to the floor and lifted the long, heavy black cloth that covered the tables to protect them from moisture that might warp the table’s shape, and any number of creatures that craved wood. He lit his wand and began to collect the papers. I chuckled at the fact that he had made Gellert drop them, and also dreaded the idea of spending more countless hours here in the sunless basement of the archives where they kept the remaining manuscripts that weren’t lost in the fire.

As he collected the last piece of parchment at Gellert’s feet, which were spread apart at this moment, he was greeted with his boyfriend’s semi-erect penis staring him in the face. He guessed that the summer heat had encourage Gellert to go without under garments. He must not have felt it through the robe’s fabrics, but this would also explain why Gellert was so sensitive to what Albus’s foot had been doing. It was certainly a calculated risk to go without underwear. Albus intended on making the risk worth it.

He extinguished his wand light and placed the papers he’d just collected on the ground next to him and positioned himself in between Gellert’s legs, working to ensure he didn’t touch him. He wanted to surprise him. He inched his mouth closer and closer holding his breath as to not alert Gellert to what was coming.

He wrapped his lips around Gellert’s considerable head and began to suck with relish. This is what he would rather be doing.

He heard a sharp inhale of breath and a low hum. He smiled to himself.

“Albus… what are you doing??” Gellert whispered, but he didn’t move to stop him. In fact, he pulled his chair closer giving Albus the ability to take his shaft deeper into his throat. Gellert couldn’t move his hips because the table made such moves difficult. All he could do was enjoy the sensation of Albus slowly bobbing back and forth.

Albus let out a hum that reverberated across the shaft of Gellert’s dick, and heard a slam above him. Gellert slammed his hands on the table with a groan that was a bit too loud.

“Is everything ok over here, Gellert?” the high pitched thin voice of Penelope came from the desk that was not too far from the table Gellert and Albus had chosen.

Albus paused his sucking, but kept Gellert in his mouth, lightly running his tongue over the head of his cock.

“Uhh… yes!” Gellert yelled much too loud. “EVERYTHING IS FINE!”

Smiling to himself, Albus started lightly sucking again, but trying to make no noise as to draw attention something happening under the table. He had to admit that he was enjoying Gellert being in this bind, and the thought of them getting caught was turning him on like crazy. He didn’t think he would be able to stay in this dungeon of a room researching much longer. He wanted to Gellert inside of him.

“Are you sure? You seem to be in distress?” She said with a note of concern in her voice.

Albus heard Penelope’s footsteps approach and again stopped sucking.

“Oh. Um.. I’m just making sure that I have all these manuscripts properly organized before I take them back to the stacks…”Gellert said in a forced tone. He was working so hard to keep his composure.

“Good. I’m glad to hear you’re finally taking my cataloguing system seriously.”

“Yes. I totally…” he gasped.

Albus started lightly sucking again. He couldn’t control himself. Having Gellert’s dick in his mouth was too much temptation.

“… believe in it. Whoops! It looks like I put this document in the wrong place in the pile” Gellert covered.

“Well be sure everything is in order. Last time, Albus made so many mistakes in putting the manuscripts back that I was here an extra quarter of an hour fixing his mess. Speaking of, where is Albus? I thought I saw you two come in together.”

Albus stopped yet again. This time his heart was racing. What would Gellert say?

“He is… um… in the loo! He’ll be back _any. second. now.”_ Gellert punctuated the last three words, and Albus knew that he was going to have to reappear before he got what he wanted.

“Well when he gets back, make sure he puts everything back in the way he found it. I won’t have time to fix it tonight. I have a date…” Penelope said. Albus could hear the smile she had on her face and the slight squeak in her voice.  

“I’ll be sure he gets everything right.” Gellert said through gritted teeth. More to himself and Albus than to Penelope.

Albus slowly took Gellert’s dick out of his mouth, and waited a few minutes.

“You can come up now” Gellert said, and Albus could tell from his tone that he was smiling.

He grabbed his wand and the documents and pulled himself out from under the table. He had a stupid grin on his face when he looked at Gellert who had one too.

“That was a close one…” Albus said with a chuckle. 

“It wasn’t the only thing that was close” Gellert said with a fire in his eyes. “I’m going to fuck you into next week for that, Albus. I’m so hard right now. You know what your mouth does to me. And the thought of getting caught by Penelope made me even harder.”

“Let’s get out of here.” Albus said in a low husky voice. He wanted Gellert right now. “We can spend extra time in here tomorrow.”

“Ok. I don’t think I could focus anymore if I wanted to.” Gellert said in a growl. “Take those papers back to their stacks and I’ll take these.” He raised the papers he had been organizing.

“Meet you back here in 5 minutes.”

Both men had to adjust their robes to cover their sizable erections. The prospect of the fucking they were going to do when they got back to Gellert’s room meant their dicks weren’t getting any softer before they left.

Albus looked at the reference numbers scrawled on the tops of the documents and went to find the correct place to put them. Over the last few days, he had done this magically based on his own understanding of the classification system, but apparently not correctly. This time he would do it the old fashioned way to make sure that Penelope’s asinine system was maintained. The last thing he needed was her freaking out again. As he walked through the rows and rows of shelves, torches lit themselves.

As he walked through the stacks, he was reminded of a time when he was a little boy and he forced his father to bring him to the archives so he could read, he would be so afraid that the flames from the torches would burn the innumerable pages that he treasured so much. His dad always told him that the owners were scared of that too which is why they magically protected from things like fire. 

It was ironic, he thought, that so much of the collection had been destroyed by cursed fire. Lost in his thoughts he turned right into a corner of the stacks from which a good number of the papers he and Gellert had been reading had come. He slowly started putting the papers back on the far shelves when he heard a familiar voice whisper in his ear,

“Fancy seeing you here”

He hadn’t even heard him come up behind him and before Albus could turn around, Gellert pressed his body against his backside pushing him up against the books and pages.

“I don’t think Penelope is going to like this very much” Albus breathed.

“Fuck her.” Gellert whispered. He bent down and bit Albus’s neck bringing out a loud moan of pleasure. He slowly ground his erection into Albus ass.

“No, fuck me. Here. Now. I don’t think I can wait to get home for you to fuck my brains out. You’ve got me too hot and bothered.”

He felt Gellert smile against his neck and whisper, 

“ _Corpus Cessabi.”_

As was always the case with the full body relaxation spell, Albus’s body loosened immediately. The warm sensation of his muscles releasing tension started from his head and worked its way down to his feet like a soft wave of warm water. 

Gellert lifted Albus’s robes. They were both into much of a sexual frenzy to care about taking off all their clothes.

“This is going to be a little harder without the lube. You ready?” Gellert warned.

“Do your worst.” Albus said with a smile. He braced himself on the stack shelves and felt Gellert position himself. Slowly he pushed himself inside of Albus. The sensation was certainly more uncomfortable than it had been with lube, but the sexual atmosphere and Albus’s desire to be fucked made the discomfort feel manageable.

He released a low and satisfied moan as Gellert’s shaft was completely inside of him. Gellert stayed there allowing Albus to fully adjust. However, the impatience that always drove Albus flared up in him and he started to move back and forth on Gellert’s dick.

“I see how you want it.” Gellert hissed as he grabbed Albus’s hips.

He slammed himself into Albus making him see stars. Albus screamed out in pleasure but the scream was muffled as Gellert’s hand shot up to cover his mouth. He continued to pound Albus’s hole.

“Don’t want to draw to much attention to us, do you? Although maybe” He slammed into Albus again.

“You like…” and again.

“Being caught.”

Albus couldn’t say anything with Gellert’s hand over his mouth, but he groaned in agreement. He was meeting every one of Gellert’s thrusts. He was blinded by lust. The thought that Penelope could walk down the row of books and papers and find them there fucking was a heady sensation just like it had been when he was under the table servicing Gellert. This was different than being in Bathilda’s doorway days ago, this was on his terms and he was loving every moment of it. 

Gellert pulled his dick almost all the way out and slammed it back into Albus’s whole hitting his prostate. The he pulled all the way out, grabbed Albus by the shoulders, and turned him around. 

“I wanna see what I do to you.” He grunted.

He placed his hands on Albus’s hips and lifted him onto a shelf that had counter space for inspecting manuscripts. He pulled Albus to him and spread his legs. Albus held himself steady on the counter space itching to have Gellert inside him again. He didn’t have to wait long. Gellert positioned himself and once again started his relentless pounding.

The men started kissing and licking one another with reckless abandon when Gellert thrusts himself deep inside Albus again hitting his prostate. He stayed that deep and began the slow roll of his hips which sent Albus into a state of euphoria. Gellert quickly stuck two fingers into Albus’s mouth to keep him from moaning too loudly. Albus happily obliged and began to suck on his fingers.

“Fuck you’re so beautiful.”

Albus could tell by the look on Gellert’s face that he was close to cumming. He too felt the pleasure inside of him rising as Gellert continued to slowly massage his prostate. He went to reach down for his own cock when Gellert grabbed his hand.

“No touching.” He said with a sly smile.

He started to roll his hips faster adding more pressure. Albus grabbed hold to the counter more tightly and threw his head back. It smashed into the shelf, but he was too overcome with pleasure to care.

Their pace quickened and Albus, feeling his orgasm coming tightened his asshole around Gellert, and almost immediately Gellert let out a low grunt of pleasure followed by a cry. As he came, he didn’t close his eyes. His stare bored into Albus who watched as his pupils dilated in pleasure. This shared moment of intimacy, the look of ecstasy on Gellert’s face along with the find deep penetrating roll of Gellert’s hips sent Albus over the edge.

He shook with pleasure as stream after stream of cum flew from his dick onto his robes.

“You… astound… me” Gellert gasped.

Albus couldn’t speak. He was still reeling. He just looked up at the dark ceiling and worked to catch his breath.

Gellert slowly pulled himself out of Albus. Albus looked at him wincing a bit. Gellert leaned in and kissed him ferociously.

“Just when I think I’ve got you figured out, you almost suck the life out of me under a table and fuck me in a library. You truly are extraordinary.”

“You’re going to have to spend a lot more time with me before you have me figured out, Gellert. I am, a lot of things, but predictable is not one of them.” Albus said cockily.

He groped for his wand which he found on an adjacent shelf. It had fallen out of his robes when he had been moved to the shelf. With a quick wave he cleaned himself off. As he hoisted himself off the shelf, he felt a quick stab of pain in his ass. He winced a bit but didn’t want Gellert to know. He figured this was the price for fucking without lube. And he would gladly pay it again if he had to.

He looked around at all the pages that had been scattered during their sex, and waved his wand which put them back in their correct spaces… he hoped.

Remembering what brought him to the stacks in the first place, he decided to make the same suggestion to Gellert he had made the last week. Hoping this time that the post-coital haze would soften his objections to the suggestion he was about to raise.

“You know,” Albus started. “I do think we should ask your aunt about Ignotus…”

Gellert looked up at him annoyed.

“We don’t have to tell her about the Hallows.” Albus started quickly before Gellert could protest. “We just need to know where we might be able to get more information about him and his family. Let me take care of this. I have a way with people. Trust me, she’ll be none the wiser and we won’t have to spend everyday in this hell hole trying to find information that clearly isn’t here.”

As Gellert collected himself and made sure that his robes were covering him properly, Albus could see him mulling over the suggestion, and he didn’t know if it was the afterglow of their amazing sex, or mere frustration at the lack of progress they had made in research the Peverell’s and the Hallows, but he agreed.

“I think you’re right. And we can ask her but ONLY IF nothing about the Hallows is mentioned. And for the record…“ He said looking around fondly, “… I kind of like this place. I especially like it when I’m screwing you in it.”

“Well, you can screw me anywhere you’d like but I’d prefer it be a place that’s less moldy and with a touch more natural light. The better to see you with…” Albus replied.

“Touchè." 

“So when do you want to talk to her?” Albus said. Again, checking to make sure everything was in its rightful place before they started the walk back. 

“How about tonight? Come over for dinner. You can ask her then.”

“That sounds good. I’ll come over after I get everything settled with Ariana and Aberforth.”

“It’s a date.” Gellert said with a wide smile. He extended his hand for Albus to hold.

Albus took it and smiled genially back at him.

“It is.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having dinner with Bathilda moves Albus and Gellert one very large step closer to the information about the Hallows.

“You all should have come straight to me instead of going to those disastrous archives.” Bathilda said as she placed baked fish on each of the men’s plates.

“I have more information in my cellar than they do. Especially after that damn fire spread through ages ago. Hell, I have more in my head than they could collect in the next 1000 years. And don’t even get me started on that damn Penelope…”

Gellert and Albus looked at each other and tried not to laugh, but did nothing to stop Bathilda’s tirade.

“…she thinks she knows every thing.” She put the platter of fish down and picked up the potatoes and began gestured to Albus for his plate.

“She doesn’t know a damn thing! I should be running that place. You know some people call me the ‘most celebrated magical historian of the age,’ and the likes of her are running the town’s archives. If I wasn’t such a humble person, I might be offended.”

“Well Aunt Bathilda,” Gellert began with a sly smile “everyone can’t see your brilliance. That’s their fault. Not yours.”

“Too right you are!” Bathilda said haughtily.

“For what it’s worth, we can’t stand Penelope either.” Albus said. Taking Gellert’s cue to butter Bathilda up a bit before asking her for the information they needed.\

“She’s been absolutely no help in our research and frankly it’s a wonder she’s helped anyone. She thinks her system is so efficient, but really it’s just confusing. I mean really! If I can’t figure out where the hell to place things, then something is not right.”

Bathilda smiled widely as Albus finished his diatribe.

“Penelope aside, this meal is amazing!” Albus said. “What kind of fish is it?”

“Cod. Fresh caught today so Fidophus told me.” Bathilda beamed. 

“You can taste how fresh it is.” Albus said before taking another bite. He was not buttering her up here, the fish was absolutely delicious. He hadn’t had a meal this good since his mother had passed away. Most of his meals were suitable but they lacked finesse. He had never been one for the domestic magical skills, but after eating this he thought he might brush up on a few things and surprise his siblings.

Gellert remained quiet as he ate. As with everything he did, he was very deliberate in his consumption of the food and didn’t seem to be enjoying nearly as much as Albus. He caught his boyfriend looking at him and winked. Albus took that as his cue to begin his inquisition of Bathilda for any information she might be able to offer them about Hallows.

“So… Ms. Bagshot” he started.

“Bathilda please, dear.” She corrected with a soft smile.

“Bathilda,” he said with a slight incline of his head, “we were wondering if you had any records about old families who lived in Godric’s Hollow. I went to visit my mother’s grave…”

Albus hated leveraging his mother’s death but he knew it would be the most effective way to get the information they needed. Gellert had instructed him to use any emotional connection he could because his great-aunt was a sucker for a sad story.

Sure enough at the mention of his mother Bathilda’s expression changed to one of sadness. Her eyes began to soften and she looked at Albus with a piteous gaze that made him feel terrible about what he was doing. He looked briefly at Gellert who have him a firm nod and a quick smile that pushed him to continue.

“… and as I looked around at the other gravestones, I noticed there were any number of families who I recognized, but even more that I didn’t.”

“Yes well, dear, Godric’s Hollow has been around for a long time and that cemetery expands for whatever family needs to lay a loved one to rest there so it stands to reason that there would be names that you wouldn’t recognize. Were there any in particular that you were interested in?”

“Um… none in particular” Albus said quickly. “It just made me realize that there was so much about the village that I don’t know. So many families and well known people that I am completely ignorant about. But I thought you might have some things here or around that could help me get a better sense of this history.” He added a sycophantic tone to his voice. He wasn’t sure he needed it, but it seemed to have an effect.

Bathilda smirked. No doubt thinking about how she could best Penelope in what she could offer Albus in terms of materials to help him learn about Godric’s Hollow.

“Well… yes. My family has been here since the early 12th century and we take pride in keeping our records. I’m sure I have things here that that little twit Penelope would love to get her hands on. And to that I say, ‘over my dead body!’ Let me go down to the cellar and see if there isn’t something I can pull up for you. Feel free to help yourself to more food while I go look.” She slowly rose from the table and went to exit down the hallway.

“Is there a particular time period you’re interested in dear?” She asked looking back.

“Oh… Let’s start at the 13th century that seems to be about the time the archives records are deficient,” Albus said with a wide smile.

“I’m sure they were” she said with a scowl. She continued down the hall and the boys heard her footsteps slowly descend into the cellar.

As the creaking of the wooden stairs soften Gellert looked at Albus and grinned, “I would kiss right now if I thought I wouldn’t end up fucking you here on this table.”

“Let’s save that for later.” Albus said. His body reacted so quickly to the words of the man sitting across from him. He would like nothing else than to be bent across this table and taken, but he had a job to do and couldn’t be distracted.

“The graveyard twist was a nice one. I knew she wouldn’t be able to say no to bringing up your mother’s death. Old sap!” Gellert said callously.

“Well it wasn’t exactly a lie. I did see names that I didn’t recognize…” Albus began. This was more to himself than to Gellert. He felt really bad for using his mother’s death to their advantage.

“Who cares if it was a lie! It’s getting us what we need and at the end of the day, that’s what matters. I’m sure my aunt has tons of information we can use to get us closer to figuring out where the Hallows are. From what we read in the archives, the Peverell family were basically town favorites, and if my family has been here for so long, their paths must have crossed in some meaningful way.” Gellert leaned forward and plucked a potato off the platter and popped it into his mouth.

“Here’s hoping we learn a bit more. I don’t think I can go back to that cavern of an archive for hours only to learn absolutely nothing.” Albus said.

“I think you taught me a few things today….” Gellert said with a smile, and Albus saw his hand disappear under the table and he knew that he was stroking himself thinking about their time in the archive stacks.

“That’s a lesson I’m willing to teach again in the event you didn’t learn it well enough the first time.”

“Maybe I need another private tutoring session tonight after dinner….” Gellert began. As they both were heating up they heard the creaking of the old stairs growing louder as Bathilda came back up the stairs slowly but surely.

As she returned she held in her hand 3 large folders filled with yellowing paper nearly falling out of each of them. It was clear from the look of the pages and the stale smell that now flowed through the room that these were documents from a different time. She gently placed the heavy documents on the table with a loud thud that left the plates and utensils for dinner rattling.

“Here you are dears! I dare say you should find plenty in here that should give a sense of the families and people who lived in Godric’s Hollow during earlier times.”

Albus and Gellert gawked and the sheer amount documents she provided them. This was much more than what they had seen from the archives.

“Aunt Bathilda, you’ve had this in your cellar this whole time?” Gellert asked incredulously. He reached for a folder and began to leaf through the documents.

“Of course! How do you think I write my books? I have to have some documents, right? My memory is good dear but it’s not that good” Bathilda said with a sly smile. “Well I’ll leave you two to it! But don’t take those out of the house. I can’t have those getting lost and falling into the wrong hands.”

“Or worse…” Albus began with a smirk “Penelope’s.”

“Can you imagine?!” Bathilda shrieked. She waved her wand around the table disappearing all the plates and their contents. “She would probably think she’d won the jackpot with all of that,” she gestured towards the stack of papers the young men were now dividing between them to investigate.

“Again I say, over my dead body will anyone without my family’s blood in their veins get their hands on these. They’re notes and journal entries from family members. The ones you’ve got there are from my great-great-great-great uncle, Bishop Bagshot. He lived in this very house and was extremely nosy. Apparently, he didn’t work and just sat in the house watching his neighbors and writing down everything they did. Imagine having the time!”

Recognizing that the boys were not listening to her as they looked from page to page Bathilda said,“well, if you have any questions, I’ll be seeing to these dishes,” she chortled and walked into the kitchen.”

“Mhmmm…” they said in unison. Not even looking up to watch her walk away.

For what felt like eternity Albus and Gellert poured over the contents of Bathilda’s folders. Albus, who was genuinely interested in learning the information. It felt like he was back in the library at Hogwarts researching topics for a paper in History of Magic. It felt good to be learning again and to be thinking. This summer with Gellert felt very visceral and although they had deep conversations about any number of things, they were very rarely things Albus cared about. In fact, Albus couldn’t remember a time when they had, in the last few weeks, talked about anything other than finding and using the Hallows or their campaign to bring muggles to their knees.

So this moment of enduring the dusty, crumbly papers from Bathilda’s cellar felt like a needed reprieve. Although this was in pursuit of the Hallows, there was more here to be learned than just where the Hallows might be. He made a mental note to come over to Bathilda’s one day when Gellert was away and really dive into the family histories. He saw so many names that his friends from Hogwarts shared- the Prewitts and the Weasleys, and few names of some unsavory characters at school- the Black and the Malfoys. But that was not the reason for looking through the documents and so he pressed on looking for something on the Peverells.

After a little over an hour and a half, Albus stumbled on the name Peverell and gasped.

“I found them!” He said with a smile.

Gellert immediately stopped what he was doing and came around the table so that he could read over Albus’s shoulder. Albus began to read aloud,

_“You’ll never guess who’s back in town from wherever the hell he’s been for the last 3 years. Everyone’s favorite Peverell brother, Ignotus. You’d have thought he was the bloody king of the wizarding world. Everyone was running around trying to catch a glimpse of him as he made his way through town to get to his family’s home. Fat chance of that since he’s barely taken off the damn cloak…”_

The last word stopped Albus’s dictation. He looked up sharply at Gellert.

“Cloak…” he said softly. He felt as if saying it too loudly would break the spell of surprise both he and Gellert had fallen under. “…you don’t think it’s…”

“THE cloak of invisibility given to the youngest brother by Death while he and his two brothers were trying to cross a bridge at twilight…”

Gellert’s words were frantic. He seemed to be in disbelief. As if all the faith and hope he’d been projecting when talking about the Hallows had been some kind of performance he was putting on. In this moment, Albus felt that it was possible that he had been just as unsure about the existence of the Hallows as he had been, and that the mention of the cloak was the thing that made him sure he had been write all along.

“Yes. That cloak.” Albus said with a slight chuckle.

Gellert took a deep breath.

“I don’t know. I mean we know from the genealogies in the archives that there were three Perverell brothers, and that Ignotus was the youngest. Now we’ve learned that he has a cloak. That’s a lot of coincidences wouldn’t you say?” Gellert said. The edge to his voice was willing Albus to agree with him. But Albus wasn’t ready to concede.

He began cautiously. He knew he needed to tread softly as to not upset Gellert or invalidate his feelings. Having seen his anger, Albus wasn’t keen to experience that again.

“…coincidence? Maybe. But we also know that there are many cloaks of invisibility that exist. Whether by construction or enchantment. It is possible that the one talked about here is one of those and not the one from Beedle’s tales. Besides… this would have taken place almost three hundred years _before_ Beedle would have written his story. So how would he have even know about this cloak, or even the Peverell brothers?”

“Yes…. That is true…” Gellert began. Some of the excitement leaving his eyes. “But perhaps…”

“What if…” Albus interjected, “…we keep reading and see if there’s any more to glean from Uncle Bishop’s writing.”

Gellert let out an exasperated sigh and a sharp nod.

Albus knew he wanted nothing else than to have a lead on the Hallows so they could begin their journey to finding and using them. Gellert wasn’t much for planning. He was a “get in, let hell break loose, and figure it out” kind of man. Whereas Albus was more methodical in his approach. These differences are perhaps why they got on so well. They complimented each other. When Albus was less willing to go in wands upheld, Gellert was ready. And when Gellert was ready to burn it all down, Albus had the “Aguamenti” charm at the ready.

_“Fat chance of that since he’s barely taken off the damn cloak…”_ Albus began, picking up from where he’d left off.

_“…since he got back. In fact, he’s been in a right state. Like someone was following him. He’s been looking over his shoulder every few seconds each time I’ve seen him. He nearly hexed poor Agnes Maltsby when she walked behind him in the town’s square. He seemed to think that she was something or someone else who was hellbent on doing him harm. Turns out she was just trying to say “hello” to him after not being here when he first arrived. George McGibbon told me that she simply tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention and he wheeled around, shoved her away, pulled out his wand, and nearly cursed her before she screamed out and threw a shield charm up between them. Poor thing was beside herself. A sobbing heap she was for nearly an hour after it’d all happened._

_Then there was the time, which Ernie McAllistar told me about, when Ignotus was seen sleep walking through the streets of the village at 3 o’clock in the morning. Ernie was up letting his dog out when he saw him ambling down the path mumbling something like, “can’t let them see me. Can’t be seen. Must stay hidden. I told them and now look at them… they’re gone. GONE!” Said he was clutching himself as he was walking like he trying to keep himself safe. Ernie, being the good man that he is, walked over to him and said he looked imperiused. When he tried to wake him, Ignotus put up quite a fight. Broke his nose and all. Ernie’s screams seem to be the thing that brought Ignotus to. Said he was very apologetic but Ernie said even awake, something was off about him. He healed his nose and apparated on the spot after saying he must have taken an expired sleeping draught._

_It’s been so strange to have him back, particularly in this state. He was once so jovial. Never saw him without a smile. He and his brothers were some of the most beloved people in Godric’s Hollow. Always talking about the adventures they’d taken and the things they’d learned from other witches and wizards. They helped make this town what it is. They helped build the local volunteer Auror station. They even stopped a muggle house fire despite the fact that they were told to leave it alone. So to have him come back and be so paranoid and downright evasive when he’s seen in public, which in and of itself is a rarity. Something happened on that trip. Even when his brother came back last year, he wasn’t this bad at the start…”_

Albus stopped again.

“His brother came back? The year before…”

He looked at Gellert who was staring off into space. He seemed to be trying to make sense of things.

“Which brother I wonder…” Albus continued.

“I wonder” Gellert began, “what could have gotten Ignotus so worked up that he would rarely take of his cloak. It seems like a lot of work for someone have to navigate the world while invisible. Especially since invisibility cloaks don’t make you intangible. And the sleep walking? ‘Can’t let them see me…’ Who? Who is he hiding from? Is that person or thing the reason he won’t take his cloak off? If I was hiding from Death, I would never take that cloak off. It’d be too much of a risk wouldn’t it?”

“You mean to say that you honestly think that Death, in some corporeal and humanistic form, was stalking this man, and _that’s_ what made him act out of character?” Albus said incredulously. “You don’t think it more likely that he had some horrific accident that left him traumatized?”

“And his brother…” Gellert continued. Not even listening to what Albus had said. He began walking back to where he had been sitting in some kind of trance. He seemed to be overcome with the idea that this was the cloak of the legend and that its wearer was one of the brothers in the children’s tale. Watching him wander to his seat, he looked like he was drunk. He had a weird smirk on his face, like he knew something that other people didn’t.

“Maybe good old uncle Bishop has more to say about when one of his brothers returned.” He pulled the papers close to him, and began to flip through them in earnest.

The returned to another 15 minutes of contemplative silence as both men began to search for anything in the papers that had to do with another Peverell brother. Gellert seemed to believe that with more information they would be able to definitively determine whether the Peverell brothers were the possessors of the Deathly Hallows.

“I can’t find anything on either Antioch or Cadmus in these pages. Nothing but the sniping and gossip about random townspeople. Nothing useful.” Gellert said irritably.

“Neither can I, but I didn’t finish reading the entry about Ignotus either. Maybe there’s something that can help us” Albus said in a comforting tone. He really wanted to be done with all of this readings but he knew that if they didn’t walk away with something concrete Gellert wouldn’t be able to think about anything else. Again, Gellert nodded and Albus found the pages he hadn’t read and began again.

“ _I invited Ignotus over for tea about 3 weeks after he had returned. I hoped that giving him time would help him adjust better. But the man who showed up at more door at half past 1 was no more in control of himself and his fears than the man that ambled back into town those 3 weeks ago. He knocked on the door and when I opened it, there was no one there. He said that he was under the cloak and I moved aside to let him in. He didn’t remove the cloak until I closed the door. Once he’d taken it off I was shocked to see the face of a man who hadn’t been taking care of himself. He was thinner than he’d been when he’d arrived weeks ago and looked much older than I knew him to be. He secured his cloak and began setting numerous protective enchantments around the house, closing curtains, and checking other entrances. It wasn’t until he had done all of this that he seemed to calm down. All I could do was watch because when I asked him what he was doing all he would say was ‘you can never be too careful.’_

_I took him into the living room and conjured up some tea and biscuits. He took the mug I offered him and cast a spell over it. When I inquired what he was doing, he said checking it for poisons. I began to protest as I couldn’t believe he would accuse me of such a thing, but he smiled and said it wasn’t me he was worried about. Naturally, I asked who it was that concerned him. He put his cup down and said, “you wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” and before I could follow up, he started asking questions about what had been going on in Godric’s Hollow since he and his brother’s had left. I told him everything I could remember from the past 3 years. After he finished his tea he said he wouldn’t mind something a bit stronger, so I conjured a bottle of aging fire whiskey from the cellar and poured generous portions for each of us. I secretly hoped that he would be more loose lipped after a few sips of the whiskey and more willing to divulge where he had been the last 3 years. My wish was granted. After drinking about half of his glass, I asked him, “what has happened to you, Ig? Why have you come back after 3 years of being away? Where have you been? And why are you acting so strange?” He chuckled slowly, gazing towards the curtains he’d closed. After a few moments of intense silence where, I assume he was contemplating telling me the truth of his whereabouts, he looked at me intensely and said he would tell me, but only if I never spoke a word of it to a soul. He said that our parents had been friends as had we and that if there was anyone in town that he could share this with, I was that person. I agreed and he began._

_He talked about how he and his brothers had left to go on one of their adventures. This time they wanted to go East. They’d heard of witches and wizards doing interesting kinds of magic there and wanted to explore and learn all they could. As was their custom, they left in the dead of night as to not be seen by the other villagers. They often kept a low profile when they departed, and in truth it made sense. People in this village are so nosy that they might have never made it out if they didn’t do it surreptitiously. When I inquired about why they didn’t just apparate, he said the journey was most of the fun, and they they had no idea what their destination was so they couldn’t just drop in. He continued with the tale of how they encountered any number of magical creatures that they had never seen or heard of before. As with all their adventures, each brother kept a journal where they chronicled their tales and discoveries. His tone was light as if his memories were so vivid but also pleasant to remember. Then, all of a sudden, his expression changed._

_He spoke of a particular night about a year into their trip. Apparently they were almost to where they were meant to be when they came across a rushing river that was too rough to cross.”_

Albus stopped. “A rushing river? Like…”

“Keep reading!” Gellert said breathlessly. His eyes were large and his chest was heaving with excitement. “Keep reading!” He said again. This time with more fervor.

Albus went back to the document, found his place, and continued.

“ _Up until this point it seems the brothers hadn’t been using too much magic. They had been trying to pass as muggles as to not bring too much attention to themselves. But they had to get across the river so they each pulled out their wands and transfigured a bridge into place that would allow them to cross the river without putting themselves into danger. They crossed the bridge safely, but as soon as they got to the other side their bodies froze._

_Ignotus stops here and takes a long drink of whiskey. He looks again to the drawn curtains and takes a few deep breaths. He returns his gaze to me and continues. He tells me that some kind of spell had fallen on him and his brothers that kept them from being able to move or speak. He said that his eyes were closed, but he could hear the footsteps of a creature or maybe numerous creatures. Though they did not speak, he said he heard voices in his mind showing him his worst fears, the death of his brothers. I told him that it sounded like boggarts, but he waved that away saying the boggarts don’t have the power to freeze you in time. He said he thought they were going to be killed. The voices in his mind kept showing him his death, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. They told him that he should have turned back at the river. That they had been watching him and his brothers for miles wondering if they would cross, and prepared this trap for them if they did. They said, if they hadn’t have seen them coming, they would have been safe. Ignotus said that he couldn’t communicate with his brothers but began thinking of a spell that could free them from the hold these shadow creatures seemed to have on them. Finally, after a long time of trying to push past the visions and thoughts in his mind, he felt their hold disappear. He fell to the ground as the weight of their spell lifted. He found his brothers next to him, still alive, but just as panicked as he was._

_They spent the six months looking in those woods for whatever or whoever had done this to them, but found no trace of them. It was then that he and brothers decided to split up and research the area. They chose a date that they would return home and share what they had found. But Ignotus didn’t want to travel without protection. The event in the woods made it clear that his wand would not be enough to protect him from creatures or people who really wanted to hurt him. So, he made the invisibility cloak. Whatever attacked he and his brothers said that it only did so because they were visible. He took that to mean that invisibility was his greatest defense. It took him the better part of a year to perfect but that this cloak was infallible. No spell could penetrate it. It did not fade with time. And he wore it anytime he left the house because he did not want to be caught off guard again. He laughed bitterly at the thought._

_He said he returned to Godric’s Hollow to share his the news with his brothers, only to find that—“_

Albus stopped and turned the parchment over only to see a blank page.

“What happened? Why did you stop reading?” Gellert inquired.

“That’s all that’s left. I don’t have the rest of it.” Albus said looking frantically through the pile of papers hoping to find the end of the account.

“What?!” Gellert asked outraged. He too began looking for the missing pages.

After 5 minutes both men determined that the pages were lost.

“You can’t be serious!” Gellert exclaimed, banging a fist on the table. “We were so close! The Peverells are _clearly_ the brothers from the story. SO much of it fits. Don’t you agree?”

“There are a lot of similarities, but the part about this encounter with creatures that can stop you in your tracks? That’s not in Beedle’s story. Neither is the portion about how the younger brother *made* the cloak. It wasn’t given to him by Death. In fact, Death was nowhere in Ignotus’s account of his encounter.”

Gellert was about to speak, but Albus kept going, “…and there’s still the issue of time. How could Beedle have even gotten his hands on these accounts that happened 3 centuries before he even wrote the text?? I agree that it would be a big coincidence for the stories to not be related but I’m not willing to concede until the connection between them is made clear.”

Gellert stared at him in disbelief. “I don’t know what more you want to make you believe that the Hallows are real, and that three men in this town had them.”

“I need solid proof, Gellert. We can’t just assume that stories that do have important differences despite their similarities are the answer to finding the Hallows. And this is only one account that is being handed down by a third party. What if Bishop misheard something? He wasn’t taking notes during his conversation, he’s writing all this down from memory and after drinking. There is no way to know whether his account is true, and he we don’t have any other conversations he might have had with either of the other brothers to corroborate this. Look!” He held up his hand to keep Gellert at bay.

“I know you want this all to be true, but I can’t up and leave my family to travel around based on the writings of a nosy old man. I need more. I need something more solid.”

Gellert slumped back into his chair brooding leaving he and Albus to sit in silence for 3 minutes before he gasped and said, “the journals!”

Albus looked at him quizzically. “Journals?”

“The journals each of the brothers had to chronicle their adventures. Bishop talked about it in what you just read. If we could get our hands on one of those journals, you would have your solid proof and we would have some direction about how to find the Hallows *if* the Peverell brothers are in fact the three brothers.”

Albus sighed. He should have known that Gellert was not going to be deterred so easily by facts and reason. When it came to the Hallows he was obsessed. Albus too wanted the power the Hallows would offer, but was more cautious about believing in their existence. He found that believing in things only because you want them to be true was dangerous . So he would reserve judgment until he had the tangible proof he needed to overcome his skepticism.

“Where would one even get the journal of the Peverell brothers? It’s not as if there’s some Godric’s Hollow museum and we know they’re not in the archives. We have searched that places from top to bottom. So where would we go to try and find them?” Albus said.

“To find what?” Bathilda squeaked walking back into the dining room from the kitchen.

Albus and Gellert had forgotten she was there and both jumped at her words. How much had she heard? Albus knew that Gellert was sensitive to her knowing about their plans. But if Gellert was serious about getting the information they needed then some concessions we’re going to have to be made.

“We were….” Albus started as he glanced at Gellert determinedly. “We were wondering where we might find the journals of the Peverell brothers. They sound like an amazing family, and Uncle Bishop mentions them a lot in his writings. He also mentioned journals that they had….”

Gellert was shooting daggers at Albus, but Albus pressed on.

“I know that the archives lost a lot of their documents in the fire, but if we could get some first hand accounts of that time, we might be able to fill in some of the holes. After reading these *amazing* documents, we are all the more curious about that 13th center Godric’s Hollow.” He hoped the little dash of charm he’d thrown in would help smooth Bathilda over and keep her off their scent.

“Oh well of course! Uncle Bishop was an amazing writer and he wrote with so much passion and detail” Bathilda mused. “Hmm… well if you really wanted to get your hands on those journals, you would probably have great luck started at Hogwarts.”

“Hogwarts?!” Albus said astonished.

“Of course, dear. They have a private collection of donated materials from prominent wizarding families. It’s not open for student use out of concern for the preservation, which is why you probably don’t know about them. But I’m sure, now that you’ve graduated you could reach out and see if they have anything there that might be of service.” Bathilda said matter of factly.

“Hogwarts…” Albus said, mostly to himself. He hadn’t planned on returning to the castle this soon, but having an excuse to go back to the place that meant so much to him, and to show it to Gellert as well, was something he couldn’t pass up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the insane delay. This semester took up a lot of time, but I'm on break again and hope to be able to post more frequently. 
> 
> I really liked writing this chapter because it gave me a chance to really dive into the Peverells. I just kept thinking about what it must have been like for them to have encountered whatever they did in the woods, and how that changed them. If, as Dumbledore said in Tales of Beedle the Bard, the brothers created the Hallows, one has to think of why, and this is my take on that. 
> 
> And now the guys get to go to Hogwarts, which I'm excited to return them to, and don't worry, I've got something very hot planned for them there. ;)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After successfully going on a lone mission to get he and Gellert access to Hogwarts's secret collection of relics and manuscripts, Albus and Gellert travel to Hogwarts. The men's trip down memory lane leads to the creation of some new memories.

Albus wrote to Professor Black, Hogwarts’s headmaster, as soon as he left Bathilda’s after discovering the secret collection that was housed at his alma mater. He had hoped that his status as “The Best student to ever walk the halls of Hogwarts,” along with the fact that he had gotten an “O” on all his OWLs and NEWTs, and won nearly every award imaginable at the school would work in currying favor with the headmaster. But he thought wrong-

_Albus-_

_While I appreciate your interest in the school’s private collection, I hope you can appreciate the reason WHY it is a secret collection. I confess myself disappointed that Ms. Bagshot would tell you about it in the first place. She of all people should know the importance of keeping such a collection secret. The whole point of the collection is to keep it safe from prying eyes, and to preserve important aspects of British wizarding history. It is to that end that I take great offense at your suggestion to not only allow you access to the manuscripts and relics, but an outsider from an institution with the most horrid reputation. I am sorry to say that your request has been denied._

_Even if I wanted to allow you access, which, again, I most certainly do not, I would have to get permission from Barrymore Shisle, the head of the Department of the Requisition of Magical Relics and Artifacts, to have him send over the key to the collection. You see, Hogwarts is merely a storage facility for the artifacts not a museum open for people to peruse them. I don’t even have access._

_So again, I appreciate your desire to deepen your knowledge of the wider wizarding world, but my answer is, for the aforementioned reasons, no._

_I do hope you’re enjoying your summer and, despite this rejection, I am still very willing to offer you letters of recommendation when you are prepared to start your career at the Ministry of Magic._

_All the Best-_

_**Phineas Nigelus Black** _

_Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Order of Merlin, 1_ _ st _ _Class_

Albus knew before he wrote the letter that it was a big ask to allow Gellert to come, but he hadn’t expected the collection to be so heavily guarded. What was in there that would make them so cautious about letting _him_ see what’s inside? He decided that he wouldn’t tell Gellert about the letter from Professor Black until he had exhausted all his options. He knew that Gellert would be upset if he was the reason why they weren’t able to get more information about the Hallows. He also wouldn’t like the way that Professor Black had talked about Durmstrang, though Albus couldn’t help but admit that, despite the harshness of his words, there was some truth to them.

It was with all of this in mind that Albus kept the details of Professor Black’s letter to himself.But he wasn’t willing to give up so easily. If Bathilda knew about the collection that meant she must have had some connection to the powers that be to be granted access to it. If Albus could speak to her in private, maybe he could convince her to speak to whomever she knew for him. This quest was just as much about getting more information about the whereabouts of the Hallows as it was proving to Professor Black that Albus Dumbledore would not be so easily denied.

His chance came when Gellert said that he was going to follow a lead based on something else he’d read in Uncle Bishop’s notes. He invited Albus along, but Albus lied (he seemed to be doing that a lot more as of late) saying that he had to make sure that Aberforth and Ariana were doing ok. It was true that he had not been spending lots of time with them since Gellert had arrived, but he knew they were both fine and that if they needed anything they Aberforth would take care of it. So when he knew Gellert had left (he’d sent a note asking one more time if Albus wanted to join him before he disapparated), Albus went over to Bathilda’s house.

“Oh! Hello dear…” Bathilda said, shocked to see Albus at her door. “Gellert isn’t here. I think he’s just left. He didn’t tell me where he was going of course. He’s always on my case about being in his business, but I tell him that while he’s in my house, he should be telling me-”

“I’m actually here to see you!” Albus interrupted after realizing that this rant was more to herself and not to him.

“Me? What do you need dear? Gellert hasn’t lost his temper with you has he?” She began. “I’ve been telling him that he really has to figure out how to get control of his anger and those emotions. That’s the reason he got expelled in the first place, and I say, if Durmstrang can’t handle his fits then Morgana knows, none of us can…”

“Ms. Bagshot!” Albus said but louder to, again, pull her out of her monologue. Though her comments about his anger did interest him, but he didn’t have time to think about that. He didn’t know how long he had before Gellert got back, and the less he knew about what Albus was doing, the better.

“… oh! Sorry dear. Sometimes I can’t stop once the thoughts start. That’s probably why my books are so long. What can I do for you, dear?” She said with a soft smile.

“I was… hoping that maybe we could talk about the private collection of relics and artifacts that are housed at Hogwarts.” He said shyly.

“Oooohhh yes. That. Well… you see…” she began shifting her big brown eyes to the ground. “I received a letter from the Headmaster only yesterday, and he told me off for telling you about the collection and told me to keep my mind in my books and out of his school. The nerve of him!”

Albus cringed. This is exactly what he had hoped to avoid, but he should have known that Professor Black wasn’t going to take too kindly to Hogwarts secrets being discussed so openly. But to write to one of the authors of Hogwarts textbooks ticking her off because of a mere mention seemed like an overreaction at best. This made Albus all the more curious about what was being concealed inside that collection.

“Would it be possible for me to come in?” Albus said.

“Oh yes! Of course, dear! I’ll get some tea and biscuits for us” Bathilda said, moving out of the way, and making room for Albus to come in. It was, admittedly, strange to be in her house without Gellert, but he knew that this was the only way to get things done. His way was the best way in this regard. He knew Gellert would brood and be unnecessarily elusive and obtuse for the sake of his own secrets. They didn’t have time for that and Albus had a plan.

After making his way to her sitting room, Albus looked around as he heard Bathilda collecting things for their tea and snacks. The small room was a pale purple, but not on purpose. It was as if it had been painted around the time of Uncle Bishop and hadn’t gotten a fresh coat of paint since. The air smelled as if it had been locked in the room for the past 30 years, but there was a hint of peppermint that lingered just above the stale air. There were papers everywhere, some seemed to be her notes, others notes and letters from others, and some pictures that seemed to have lost their albums. Albus supposed that being a historian required a certain level of having your mind in different periods, which meant that your appreciation for the present might be lacking, which could explain why her sitting room was in such disarray.

“Here we are dear! I didn’t know if you took cream with your tea so I brought it, and a few cubes of sugar as well! These biscuits are freshly made this morning. I was hoping that the smell of them would lure Gellert down from his attic dungeon, but he seems resistant to even that. But hearing me complaining about that nephew of mine isn’t why you have come. You want to talk about the Hogwarts collection.”

“Yes!” Albus said, stirring in some sugar and cream into his tea. “As Professor Black no doubt told you, he denied my request to come and see the relics.”

“Yes, he mentioned it. Rudely I might add” Bathilda bristled.

“I have no doubt. He’s not exactly known for his tact. Slytherins…” Albus said with a smirk as he sipped his tea. He found, after castigating Penelope at the archives, that this was a good way to butter Bathilda up.

She snorted.

“That’s putting it mildly.”

“But in the letter, he also mentioned a Barrymore Shisle? I think his name was” Albus said looking at her intently.

“Oh! Barry? Yes of course he brought him up. He has the key to the collection. That’s why his letter to me was absurd. He doesn’t have any say over who gets access to the room where the manuscripts and such are housed. Barry does.” Bathilda said with an eye roll. She picked up a biscuit and popped in it her mouth. She savored it and offered the plate to Albus, who took one and voiced his thanks.

This was the information Albus was looking for. A way around Professor Black, and he thought he might have found it.

“So you know, Mr. Shisle then?” He began.

“Of course I do, dear. Barry and I go way back. It’s why I have access to the collection whenever I’d like. The things in there are so helpful to me writing my books. And of course, Pious Phineas lets me in because my books are the textbooks of the school! Not to mention the fact that Barry and I used to date ages ago, but truth be told, I think he still holds a flame for me…” Bathilda blushed looking away to her dusty rug.

“I have no doubt he does. Do you think you could write to him on my behalf asking him to grant me access? I know it’s a big favor to ask of you, and you’ve already been so helpful, but I feel so drawn to Godric’s Hollow and its history. Surely you know what it feels like to want nothing more to unearth the secrets of a different time as to better understand the one you’re living in. It’s like I’m hearing the call of this place from the 13th century and as hard as I have tried, with Gellert’s help, to answer that call, I keep falling short. I just know that there is something in that sacred place in Hogwarts that can bring me closer if not all the way. Professor Black will never understand that. He’s too shrewd and guarded which, if I’m not being too forward, is not the best way to teach young people? Particularly those, like myself, who crave to know more.”

This wasn’t all a lie. Mostly it was an expansion of exactly how Albus felt. He did know that there was something in those hidden volumes that would help him and Gellert get one step closer to finding the Hallows. He did think that Professor Black was being too harsh in denying him access. And he did want to know more about the town he and his family had planted roots in right after his sister’s accident.

“If there’s anything…” he continued, “ _anything_ you can do, I would be so indebted to you. This is very important to me!” He contorted his face in a way that communicated contrition, innocence, and reverence.

Bathilda looked at him with a stare that was hard to read.

“You know what?” She said after a 30 seconds. “You are right! You absolutely deserve access to those archives. You’re a scholar and an incredibly gifted young wizard! What’s the point of having all of this knowledge if we can’t share it with young people. It’ll die if we don’t. Professor Black is willing to take that chance, but as a historian I know the importance of legacy. Why do you think I’ve kept my family’s notes from centuries ago? It’s because I know that if I didn’t their words and stories would be forgotten. The same can be said for everything that’s hidden away at Hogwarts. No! I won’t allow it. I’m going to do my best to get you into thet collection. I’ll send Barry an owl straight away. I know he will understand it. I’ll make sure of it.”

As Albus was being escorted out (“I’m going to send that owl as soon as you leave, dear. Don’t you worry!”), he couldn’t help but wonder if this is how Gellert felt every time he manipulated people into doing what he wanted. Albus had to admit that there was something about having that kind of power over people that he liked. But he shook this feeling off quickly and rationalized that this wasn’t for personal gain, but for the greater good. He needed to get into that relic room to get information that would help him and Gellert. Asking Bathilda to go around Professor Black was a means to an end.

“Be careful…” Aberforth’s whispered warning came to the back Albus’s mind.

“Oh shut up…” Albus muttered.

“What was that, dear?” Bathilda said, holding the door open for him.

“Oh! Just thank you for everything!” Albus said with a genial smile.

“Think nothing of it. And saying nothing of it” said a winking Bathilda.

Within days, Albus got a letter from Mr. Shisle saying that he had been granted access to the private collection at Hogwarts. There were stipulations. Only _he_ could enter into the room where the relics were being held, he could not bring with him. If he wanted to take notes, the scroll and ink would be provided to him. He had to sign a magical contract saying that would put a spell on him if he revealed the secret whereabouts of the collection inside the castle. All of this seemed a small price to pay to move closer to getting information about the Hallows.

 

**

With a slight pop Albus and Gellert appeared on a path in the town of Hogsmeade. The sky was cloudless and bright. Both men were in their linen robes as July’s heat had peaked, and there was no breeze. As Albus looked around he took in the familiar sights of a place he had only just left a month before. But knowing that he was not going to be returning to Hogwarts in September made this visit settle differently in his gut. Hogwarts had been a place that nurtured him in a way that his mother hadn’t been able to. It instilled in him and drive and passion for learning and encouraged him to push his limits to their fullest extent. He knew he would be indebted to the institution for the rest of his life. And now to be there with Gellert, someone who in such a short period of time had become so precious to him, made the trip that much better.

“I can’t believe they just let me come with you. Durmstrang would never have let anyone who was not a student anywhere near out castle.” Gellert said as the he let go of Albus’s hand. They used side-along apparition to make sure Gellert didn’t know exactly where they were going in Britain. The men began their sojourn up to the castle.

“They didn’t ‘just let you come with me,’” Albus said annoyed. “I spent the better part of last week writing letters back and forth with the headmaster convincing him that you were not a threat and that you wouldn’t share the school’s secrets.”

“Who’s to say that I won’t?” Gellert said with a sly smile.

Albus stopped in his tracks and glared at Gellert. Gellert turned around when he realized Albus was no longer by his side, and found himself face to face with an Albus he did not recognize.

“I want to make something very clear to you. I have used up every bit of social capital to make sure that you could come with me to the school. Do NOT make a fool of me and the good faith I put into you.” Albus said without raising his voice above a whisper. He sounded like his mother, but he did not want to admit that out loud.

He couldn’t risk Gellert saying something smart and blowing the whole operation. He knew he had to take control of the situation. Gellert was a lot of things, but serious was very rarely one of them. Perhaps not telling him the lengths to which he had gone was a mistake. One that was easily remedied.

“I did this for you! So that we could potentially get our hands on those journals and find out where the Hallows are. I even went to your aunt to pull favors for us so that we could get here after the headmaster said, in no uncertain terms, that he would not grant us access. So if you’re going to make a joke of all my effort by being a jackass when we get to the castle, we can apparate back right now.”

He finished and Gellert looked at him dumbfounded. This was the first time that Albus had ever really chastised him and meant it.

“Ok… I won’t say anything. I didn’t realize how sensitive this situation was, or how much effort you had put in to get us… me here. I promise I will be on my best behavior, and won’t say anything stupid.” Gellert said looking at Albus appraisingly as if he’d never seen anything like him before.

“Good. Because Professor Black is going to be looking for a reason to deny us entry despite having been given permission by the ministry. So expect some underhanded insults to come your way, and prepare to smile your way through them.” Albus said picking up his stride towards the castle once again. Gellert stayed in his place for a few more seconds before smiling to himself and jogging to catch up.

“I know this may not be the moment, but I am so turned on right now by you bossing me around, I would let you do whatever you wanted to me” Gellert said without looking at Albus. The tent in his robes made his words all the more poignant.

“Play your cards right, and you might get your wish” Albus said.

“Yes, sir” Gellert quipped.

The men ambled up the windy lane towards the castle, taking breaks every so often to cast a drying charm on their robes which after 15 minutes in the hot July sun were drenched with sweat.

“What’s that dump of a place?” Gellert asked pointing to a run down pub in the main village of Hogsmeade.

“Oh. That’s the Hog’s Head Inn. I know it’s a bit of a mess on the outside…”

“That’s putting it mildly, Albus” Gellert retorted.

“... BUT it’s a fixture here in here and my brother loves that place. He sneaks in all the time when he’s in school and the bar man lets him work there sometimes cleaning up and taking things up to people’s rooms. It kind of reminds me of Ab a bit, Rough on the outside, but if you give it a chance it’s nice….”

Albus felt a bit like Bathilda rambling, but Gellert just looked at him and smiled.

“It’s rare that I hear you talk about your brother with such affection.”

“I know, but I do love him. Just… in my own way.” Albus said.

“When are you going to invite me over to meet your sister and brother? It’s been about a month now, and you’ve been over to mine.” Gellert asked. This time he was looking at Albus with a confused expression on his face.

“It’s complicated. My sister doesn’t necessarily like strangers, and Aberforth is well… Aberforth.” Albus said.

He never thought Gellert would _want_ to come over. It seemed a touch too sentimental for him. And to be fair, Albus came over so that they could charm Bathilda into giving them information. That was a very different circumstance. Dinner at his house, with his brother whose dislike for Gellert was clear and a sister who, on her good days is incredibly kind and sweet, but could potentially blow up the house if something goes wrong.

“I don’t mean to pressure you. I was just thinking out loud. If it’s not something that you want to happen then…” Gellert said. His voice wasn’t sad but it definitely had a different softer, more vulnerable timbre to it than his general assertive speaking voice. This made Albus feel guilty.

“It’s not that, it’s just…” Albus started.

“Gentleman! At last, I’ve been waiting here for what feels like an age in this heat for you to arrive.”

The men were interrupted by an exceedingly slender man with shoulder length matted brown hair that looked like it hadn’t been washed in ages. His eyes had the appearance of being too close together which wasn’t helped by his petruding forehead. His robes, however, in no way matched his physical appearance. For starters they were much to short from someone of his height, but they were immaculate in their cleanliness as if he had just gotten them laundered before he had shown up to fetch Albus and Gellert.

Albus hadn’t realized that they were so close to the castle and as he looked up, he saw the familiar iron gates leading to a path to the giant castle that Albus called home for the formative years of his life. He couldn’t quite explain why, but his heart was so full with being back at Hogwarts.

“Hi Barnabas. I didn’t think you’d be the one bringing us to the castle today.” Albus said with a bright smile and an outstretched hand.

“Hello Albus” Barnabas quipped with little more than a slight tug of his lips. As if they were on their way to a smile but decided against it. “If you would please address me as Mr. Bastion. I know you’ve left Hogwarts, but decorum shouldn’t have left with you, I should hope.”

Albus chuckled, “of course not… Mr. Bastion. I’m just grateful that you’ve come to bring us up to Hogwarts. Mr. Bastion, this is my dear friend Gellert. Gellert, this is Barnabas…” Albus placed a strong emphasis on the name “Bastion, Hogwarts’s caretaker.”

Neither man moved. They just stared at one another resolute.

“Ok…” Albus said jovially. “Shall we go inside?”

Barnabas turned on the spot without another word and led the men up through the gates and to the large wooden doors that served as the back entrance to the Hogwarts castle.

“Why is he so unpleasant?” Gellert asked as they walked.

“I don’t know the backstory, but let’s just say this is always how he’s been.” Albus said smiling.

They walked through a beautiful courtyard filled with fountains and a variety of plants that were in full bloom. No doubt the groundskeeper had been very busy keeping the plants together. As they entered into the castle the temperature dropped significantly, and Albus knew immediately that they must have enchanted the halls to be cooler in the summer.

He stopped not too far into the castle and took it all in as if it was his first time being there instead of only a few weeks since he had left. He stared at the pictures on the wall, waving at a few who were staring back at him no doubt confused as to why there were young people in the castle after all the students had gone home for the summer holiday.

“This place is unbelievable!” Gellert said awe-struck.

Albus had forgotten he was there for a brief moment.

“Isn’t it? I miss it so much and I’ve only just left.”

“I don’t know that I would ever leave. It’s so bright and full of pictures and life. Durmstrang is nothing like this. It’s cold and desolate. There are few pictures and the ones that are there are of old looking men who would sooner curse you than smile at you as you walk by. It’s not the kind of place one wants to visit when classes are not in session, but this…” He turned around on the spot taking everything around him in.

“ Yes. Yes. It is beautiful. If you gentlemen would please follow me to the Headmaster’s office.” Barnabas said impatiently.

The men followed him up the main staircase. Albus had to keep grabbing Gellert to move him along because he was constantly distracted by the paintings. On the way, Albus ran into a few of his old professors but he didn’t have a chance to talk to them because Barnabas was running them along.

After 10 minutes, they reached the stone gargoyle that Albus knew led to Professor Black’s office.

“Now,” Barnabas began “Professor Black had an unexpected meeting and won’t return to his office for an hour, but you all are to meet him here. You are NOT to roam about the castle under any circumstances.”

“An hour?!” Albus protested. “If we’re not supposed to go anywhere, what do you expect us to do for an hour?”

“That’s not my problem. I should point out that Professor Black is being overly generous to have you _both”_ he looked pointedly at Gellert “here at all. I would suggest you don’t overstep, lest he become less generous.” And with that Barnabas turned and disappeared behind a tapestry.

“What the hell are we supposed to do for an hour?” Gellert said still looking at the place where Barnabas had disappeared.

“Don’t worry about him. I’m going to give you a tour.” Albus said with a mischievous smirk. He was not one for breaking rules when he was a student, but the fact was he wasn’t a student anymore. There were no house points to loose and no detentions to get. What could they possibly do? Not to mention he wanted to show Gellert the place that made him who he was.

“Come on!” Albus said and he started walking in the opposite direction of Barnabas. “I want to show you my old dorm.”

They set off at a brisk pace. Even though Albus didn’t think there would be any severe consequences he wasn’t keen to find out for sure. They made a few turns and went up three staircases one of which moved while they were on it, scaring the life out of Gellert which Albus though was hysterical. But the change added a little of time to their journey. Gellert kept stopping and trying to talk to the portraits. He couldn’t get over them. He was most intrigued by Sir Cadogan who kept calling him a “spineless nave” as he rode through other paintings following them.

After some time and lots of pulling away, they arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady. She looked at him surprised to see him there, and said, “Oh Albus! Dear it’s so good to see you. I would say it’s been a long time, but it hasn’t been, has it?”

“Not at all, Daisy but it’s good to see you all the same.” Albus said with a smile. He and the Fat Lady had a great bond because during Albus’s first year he hadn’t been told the password because the Prefect at the time, Cassius Barron, decided that because of what Albus’s had done he wasn’t a real Gryffindor and didn’t deserve to get into the dormitory. So his first night at Hogwarts we spent outside talking to the Fat Lady, and since then they’d had a very strong connection., Few students beside him knew her actual name.

“What are you doing here, dear?” the Fat Lady inquired.

“I’m meeting with Professor Black in an hour but wanted to show my friend here around the castle.” Albus said. Daisy looked at him with an expression that made him blush. 

“Well that’s nice, dear. So glad you dropped by.”

“I know this is a big ask, but is there anyway you could let us in? I don’t know the password.” Albus said.

“Well, you know I can’t do that, BUT if you can remember the password from when you left, then you’ll be fine. We don’t change it once the students leave. It’s only when they return that we get a new one since no one is using them, it seems like too much of a bother.”

Albus wracked his brain. So much had happened since he’d left Hogwarts and the last thing he thought he’d need to remember is the Gryffindor password. He stood there for 3 minutes while Gellert wandered up and down the corridor looking at the paintings and playing on the moving staircases.

“Oh!” Albus clapped his hands together “Prudence! I remember because Melody Fenwick forgot it and kept screaming 'PRUDE!'”

“Well done, dear! In you come.” And she swung open.

Albus turned around to Gellert, “would you come on? It’s a school not a playground for Merlin’s sake!”

Gellert jumped the last three steps and followed Albus into the Gryffindor common room, but before Albus walked all the way in he turned around.

“Um.. Daisy. If anyone comes looking for us, please don’t tell them we’re here. We’re not exactly meant to be wandering around.”

“Mums the word, dear.” She whispered. Albus smiled and turned around to enter into the common room.

As he walked in, he found Gellert sprawled out on one of the more comfortable chairs near the fireplace. Again, he was taking in the tall room whose roof came to a point some 30 feet above them.

“I can’t get over the fact that you lived here. This place is amazing!” Gellert said, whipping his legs around to stand up and look at the books on the bookshelves.

“How do they keep this place so clean?”

“We have house elves. The most house elves in any singular dwelling in Britain.” Albus stated matter-of-factly.

“Wow. At Durmstrang, we have daily chores that we are required to do, to make sure that we don’t think that because we can do magic that we are better than anyone else.”

“I can’t imagine you sweeping anything.” Albus said with a giggle.

“I didn’t.” Gellert said with a slight yawn. “I would make someone else do my chores and theirs.”

Albus rolled his eyes. “Of course you did. Come on, let me show you my old dormitory.”

They walked up to two stone archways that led to the boys and girls dormitories, and took the spiral staircase to the left. As they neared the room with the number 7 on it, Albus took a deep breath and turned the knob. They walked into a circular room with 5 four poster beds brightly lit by the brilliant sun pouring through the window. Albus looked around the room, and with a chuckle walked over to the bed closest to the window.

“What?” Gellert asked taking a seat on the bed that was once Albus’s.

“Nothing.” Albus turned away from him to look at the other beds and the furniture in the room. It brought back so many memories. 

“I just set those bed curtains on fire in my fourth year. They never fixed them and every year after that they were hung on my bed. So whatever bed they were on, was automatically my bed. It’s just funny that they’re still…”

As he turned back around to his bed, he saw Gellert there with his robe open and his hard cock standing at attention.

“Tell me Albus,” he said, in the same tone he did the day they first met, “did you ever fuck anyone in this bed?”

“Wha— What? No!” Albus stammered.

“Never?” Gellert said stroking his long member.

“Never.”

Albus felt his own dick hardening as he watched the young man on his bed lick his thumb and rub it on the thick head of his dick.

“Well… sounds like this may be your last chance to remedy that” Gellert intoned.

“You’re unbelievable. I’m waxing poetic on my days of yore…”

“And I’m trying to get into _your_ robes.” Gellert said beckoning Albus over. “I’ve wanted you to myself since you put me in my place in town earlier. I told you then that I would let you do whatever you wanted me to. So… what do you want me to do?”

Albus was taken aback, but couldn’t deny that seeing Gellert this way did something to him that made him forget why he was even trying to deny himself when it was being offered so willingly. And there was something about having Gellert in the bed where Albus used to fantasize about any number of the boys at Hogwarts during the dead of night when his dorm mates were sleeping. But this was Albus’s dorm and Albus’s school , so it would be, as Gellert said, Albus’s rules.

“Be careful what you ask….” Albus walked over to his old bed, and lowered his body right on top of Gellert and started to rock his hips, grinding their groins together. He licked Gellert’s lips which were slightly parted and Gellert began to suck on his tongue in earnest while Albus kept up a slow and steady rhythm with his hips.

“You’ve did so well not saying anything crazy to Barnabas. I know…” he bit down on Gellert’s lip softly “… that you wanted to.”

“You told me not to, so I didn’t” Gellert said as both his hands grabbed Albus ass.

“You deserve a reward, I think.” Albus got up from the bed and dropped his robe on the ground. He walked around the bed and grabbed hold to one of the bed posts. “Come here.” He called to Gellert, who jumped up quickly and dropped his robe.

“Get behind me.” He commanded.

Gellert walked over and pressed his erection against the crack of Albus’s ass. Albus pushed back against it and groaned. He reached behind him and grabbed Gellert’s dick and guided it to his hole arching his back to make the penetration slightly easier. Gellert grabbed Albus’s hips and slowly pushed his way in. Without the lubricating potion, the tension between their bodies was greater and so was the pain, but Albus welcomed it. It took some time, but Gellert was finally all the way inside of Albus. Their bodies had become one.

“How do you want it?” Gellert whispered softly into Albus’s ear.

“Slow and deliberate.”

“Yes..sir” Gellert groaned as he slowly pulled out of Albus and pushed himself back in.

The sensation of pleasure mingled with pain was overwhelming for Albus. He felt this was a level of intimacy that he and Gellert had not shared yet. This place, this room meant so much to Albus and be sharing it in this way for the first time with Gellert made the sensation of their raw lovemaking all the more impactful. Gellert kept his end of the bargain he didn’t speed up. He kept his pace slow and rolled his hips just the way Albus like it. Albus’s hands were gripping the bed post with his body bent over slightly as he pushed himself back against Gellert.

At one point he reached back and grabbed Gellert’s hands and brought them to his neck and gave them a squeeze indicating what he wanted from him. At first, Gellert gingerly pulled back on Albus’s neck and squeezed it.

“More.” Albus moaned, and needing no further instruction, Gellert pulled Albus’s neck back and squeezed tighter.

“Yes!” Albus exclaimed. “Just like that!”

He began to push himself back with more force. His breathing was coming out in gasps but he gave no sign that he was in any discomfort. On the contrary, he was in ecstasy. He felt filled by Gellert and filled with the emotion of sharing this moment with him. Gellert too was in the throes of pleasure biting Albus’s neck that was pulled closer to him.

All he could whisper was, “Albus… Albus…”

The two men were simply enjoying the moment they were in. The heat of the room, the sweat dripping down their bodies, the moans and groans, Gellert’s balls slapping against Albus’s ass all faded into the background as they consumed each other.

Gellert pulled his hand of Albus’s neck and placed them on his hips, not before giving Albus’s ass a smack. Albus let out a loud groan. He didn’t know what had come over him, but there was something about the sting of that slap, the tightness of being choked and the fact that he was in control of it all that pushed Albus closer to the edge.

Gellert began his delicate probe of Albus’s prostate in a dangerously slow and deliberate fashion.

Albus’s movements became more frantic as he pushed back against Gellert wanting to relish the feeling of him inside of him. He reached down and grabbed his dick only to have it explode with one stroke. He let out a mangled cry of passion as his orgasm broke through him in spectacular fashion. In doing so he clamped his hole tighter around Gellert who, after a few more pumps, released a guttural exclamation, pulled out and came all over Albus’s back and ass.

Both men, out of breath, and dripping in sweat fell onto the bed.

“Welcome to Hogwarts, Gellert” Albus said in between large intakes of breath.

“Thanks for having me.”

“I think I’m the one who’s been had.” Albus said with a chuckle and a sigh.

“Touché.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully the walls at Hogwarts can't talk! If they can, they'll have a story to tell. 
> 
> We see Albus becoming much more confident in the power he has both over Gellert but in general. He's very adept at manipulating people though he seems to believe that if it serves a purpose then it's alright. 
> 
> The next chapter will take us on more adventures in the castle and into the secret collection where the men hope to find more information about the Hallows.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus and Gellert's exploration of the castle begins and Albus contemplates a potential career at Hogwarts. They meet with Phineas-Nigellus and Albus is shown a potential future that spurs him even further in his question for information about the Deathly Hallows

“You know?” Albus said, reaching out for Gellert’s hand as they walked down one of Hogwarts’s staircases.

“I’d never thought about it before, but I think I would love to work here.”

It was true. He had never considered it, and it wasn’t an option offered to him when he was consulting about his professional life after Hogwarts. But now that he came to think about it, this would be a great place for him to continue his intellectual pursuits while also molding minds. He might even become Headmaster one day, though the thought of running the school and dealing with the bureaucracy felt much more like working for the ministry than Albus cared to do.

“Work? Here?” Gellert looked around confused. “As what?”

“A professor, of course.”

Gellert remained silent and Albus didn’t think anything of it. He was too lost in his thoughts. Seeing the high ceilings and myriad portraits made him feel as if he was taking in the castle for the first time.

This place truly did feel like home to him. More than Godric’s Hollow.He had learned so much about magic, himself, and his potential in these halls. It would be such a fantastic experience to be here in an official capacity helping others do the same. He knew that the faculty would allow it, they’d probably be so pleased to have him back. The thought of that warmed Albus. 

“…well I guess it would be easier to recruit students to be soldiers in our new regime. But I must confess, I thought you would be working side-by-side with me.” Gellert’s voice was low like he was talking to himself. He seemed to be afraid of Albus’s proclamation.

Albus heard, “be careful” in his brother’s voice come from the recesses of his mind.

The idea of recruiting underage witches and wizards seemed not only and abuse of power, but going against everything he thought they were fighting for. Why abuse power when you’ve already got it?

“Oh!” Albus began. “Well, obviously, I wouldn’t be working here until we have everything up and running effectively. Do you really have no intention of ceding power even once we have established the new order?”

“No.” Gellert said plainly. “I plan on running our glorious new society until death…”

“Of course you do. Bu things change. People change. Plans change.” Albus said with a slight chuckle, looking at Gellert almost willing him to see that running the wizarding world couldn’t be all that he wanted to do. What about everything else? A family? Friends?

Albus pulled Gellertdown a hallway in the transfiguration corridor. He knew they had little time to go and meet Professor Black, but Albus wanted to show Gellert more of the castle. As they walked down the dimly lit corridor, Albus’s mind returned to what Gellert had said to him, and he couldn’t shake the desire to talk about it further.

“Do you honestly think, if I worked here as a professor, that I would recruit students to join our cause? That would be an abuse of power, Gellert. I wouldn’t use my official capacity to manipulate students. What if they only joined because they thought I would give them higher marks for doing so?”

Albus felt Gellert stop abruptly, and pull him into his arms. Gellert’s hands wound their way under his robes and to his ass and he began to softly squeeze it. Albus let out a light moan as he felt both their cocks getting harder.

“Albus, don’t be so naive!” Gellert said with a chuckle. He turned them and began to walk, not breaking their body contact. After a few steps, Albus felt his back hit a wall. Their bodies continued to grind as they let out light noises of pleasure.

“You’re going to be one of the most powerful men in the wizarding world,” Gellert slowly. His voice was low. The look in his eye was the dangerous one that Albus loved so much.

“Do you honestly think, if you come back here and work, that students aren’t going to be throwing themselves at you. You’ll be young, powerful…”

He brought one of his hands to grab Albus’s cock and begin slowly stroking it.

“… and hot. If I were your student I would do whatever it took to get in your good graces.”

“Oh?” Albus said breathlessly and smirking. 

“Well Mr. Grindelwald, put your Galleon where your mouth is because it seems like you’re close to failing my class.”

Gellert’s eyes widened in pleasure. He kissed Albus quickly, and said in a voice of fake concern, “Oh no! Please, Professor Dumbledore. I need a passing grade in this class or else I’ll be in big trouble with my parents. Isn’t there _anything_ I can do?”

Albus let out a sharp laugh that reverberated off the stone walls. Not wanting to be caught in this position, or any other, because they were too loud, Albus thought to himself _claustra silentii,_ and immediately the men felt a rush as if a breeze had brushed by them.

“What did you just do, Professor?” Gellert leaned in and started kissing Albus’s neck. Albus let out a moan.

“Sound... barrier.” Gellert bit Albus’s neck hard and Albus groaned.

“That’s good thinking, Professor Dumbledore. Don’t want anyone hearing how I’m going to get those higher marks.” Gellert said in his high-pitched ‘student’ voice.

Albus made his voice to be deeper and stared into Gellert’s golden eyes. He screwed up his face to be more stern, which was hard as his dick was being slowly stroked.

“Mr. Grindelwald, you seem to think that you can bribe me? Who do you think I am?”

Gellert’s expressions became, if possible, more dangerous and alluring.

“You are a very powerful, very hot, and…” he deftly turned Albus around so that his stomach was pressed against the wall. Albus felt the back of his robes lift and his ass felt the air around them. It wasn’t cold, but it still sent chills up Albus’s spine. Gellert gave Albus’s ass a hard smack, but the sound of it went nowhere as it was absorbed by the sound barrier. Albus yelped in pleasure.

“Mr. Grindelwald. If you think this is the way to get a better grade, you couldn’t be more right.”

Gellert laughed and smacked Albus’s ass again. Albus then felt Gellert place his large cock in-between his ass cheeks and start grinding it. Albus began pushing his ass back meeting Gellert’s rhythm.

“Mr. Grindelwald, I have a very important meeting…” Albus groaned. “If you are serious about getting those points, you need to make this quick!”

“Yes Professor Dumbledore. I’m sorry, sir.”

Albus felt his body relax as Gellert’s tension reliever spell washed over him.

Gellert wasted no time. He plunged himself into Albus who screamed out in pleasure. Because they had just fucked, his body was ready for this.

“Is this what you want Professor?” Gellert grunted. His teeth were bared as he ravaged Albus.

“Yes. Harder.” was all Albus could manage to say.

Gellert obliged. He thrust himself deep into Albus. There was no finesse, no sentimental feelings. This was raw and Albus loved it.

“Oh Professor… I’m close.”

“I want to feel it inside me.” Albus heard himself say.

“Yessir. Whatever you want, sir.” Gellert moaned. Only a few minutes later did Albus feel the warmth of Gellert’s cum inside of him as Gellert let out a loud scream that, like the moans and groans Albus was letting out, went no where.

Gellert slowly pulled out. As they both worked to catch their breath.

“Well done, Mr. Grindelwald” Albus said slowly and breathlessly as he turned around and pressed his back against the wall for support. “You certainly made the grade.”

“No, sir.” Gellert said with a sly smile on his face. “I can do better, I promise!”

He sunk to his knees in front of Albus, whose dick was still standing at attention, having not cum himself.

Gellert wrapped his lips around Albus’s cock and began to suck in earnest. Albus had to fight to stay upright as the pleasure of just being fucked and now being sucked was becoming too much to bear. It didn’t take long for him to feel his orgasm coming.

“Gellert… I’m close.” Albus whispered.

Gellert didn’t let up, he kept the same level of suction and fervor. Albus’s knees began to shake as he cried out in ecstasy. He felt his cum shoot out and into Gellert’s welcoming mouth. He swallowed it without a second thought. Albus wasn’t sure he had ever seen something so hot.

Gellert rested with Albus’s member still in his mouth sucking every last bit from Albus before he pulled his mouth away with a light “pop.”

“Was that good enough, Professor Dumbledore?” Gellert said with his ‘student’ voice. He wiped his mouth and smiled.

“Mr. Grindelwald,” Albus began, pulling Gellert off his knees and kissing him hard. He tasted the vestiges of his semen in his mouth and relished the intermingling of their bodies. He pushed Gellert back.

“… you are my best student,” Albus laughed. He readjusted his robes and cast a spell to keep any of Gellert’s cum from dripping out of him while he was meeting with Professor Black.

The men checked their surroundings to make sure there was no evidence they had been there.

“ _Finite”_ Albus said calmly and they felt a similar breeze-like sensation indicating that the sound barrier had been dispelled. In an instant they heard the frantic voice ofMr. Bastion.

“Where in the devil could they have gone?” He sounded out of breath and irritated.

Gellert quickly looked at Albus who also just gestured towards a tapestry behind them and the men moved quickly behind it. Albus felt for a loose stone and pushed it in. The wall slide smoothly, and silently allowing them the ability to step inside.

Once inside, Albus took Gellert’s hand and they quickly walked up four flights of stairs. Once they reached the top Albus whispered, “ _Abietè.”_ The door popped open slightly. Albus peaked out to find the corridor empty.

He and Gellert walked out and walked down the hall a few paces to the stone gargoyle at the entrance of the Headmaster’s office. They looked at each other and laughed.

“Where have you been?” Mr. Bastion’s voice boomed out of the silence.

“What do you mean?” Albus said feigning ignorance.

“I have been looking for you both everywhere!” The reddish-purple face of Mr. Bastion would have been comical if not for the expression of pure hatred on it.

“I went to show Gellert, here, the prefects’ bathroom. Can you believe they don’t have them at Durmstrang? But of course, I didn’t know the password. So we had to go all the way to the bathroom on the second floor. I’m sorry to have sent you all around, but Gellert was in dire straits, weren’t you?”

Gellert just nodded and looked earnestly.

“But we are here now and ready to meet with Professor Black. I take it he has returned?”

“… yes” Mr. Bastion seemed skeptical of Albus’s tale but had no proof to substantiate his feeling, so he moved on.

“Yes. He is back and waiting to see you. But you’ll remember Albus that only you can go in to the special collection. Your… friend here” he gestured to Gellert “will have to wait in the village.”

“Yes, thank you, Mr. Bastion. It has all been arranged.”

“Alright then,” Mr. Bastion turned to the gargoyle and said, “Punctuality.”

At first, Albus thought Mr. Bastion was continuing his chastisement of him and Gellert, but then the gargoyle began to move revealing a spiral staircase that moved of its own accord. Chuckling, Albus took Gellert’s hands and they stepped onto the moving staircase which ascended up to the Headmaster’s office.

Upon reaching the top of the staircase, Mr. Bastion, Gellert,and Albus stepped onto a landing in front of an ornate door with a gold knocker. Mr. Bastion took the knocker in his hand and banged it against the door three times.

“Enter,” A shrewd and high pitched voice called out.

Albus knew immediately that it was the voice of the headmaster and steeled himself for what he knew would be a verbal tearing down. No doubt Professor Black would be furious that his power had been subverted after he initially declined Albus’s request.

The men were about to walk into the office when Albus quickly was struck with a realization. He held Gellert back. Gellert looked at Albus for an explanation.

“Listen.” Albus said quickly, quietly, and sternly.

“Let me do the talking. Don’t say anything! Please. If you want more information about the Hallows, just let anything he says to you or about you go. Please! I can handle him.”

Gellert looked at him confused.

“Give me your word or we can turn around and find another way to get the information we need.”

Gellert’s look of confusion turned to one of concern.

“Your word.” Albus said.

“Boys…?” Professor Black’s voice called out into the vestibule.

“Yes. Yes! Whatever you say, but I don’t know why you’re so wor—”

Albus took his hand firmly and walked into the Headmaster’s office. He had been inside of this office many times after winning numerous awards and meetings with various dignitaries who had come to the school.

Albus took in the circular office and saw the faces of the past headmasters and headmistresses moving to get a better view of the people who had just entered into the office. It was clear that they were more interested in Gellert’s appearance than Albus’s. It occurred to Albus that this may be the first time that a student from another school had come into the headmaster’s office for something other than a Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Professor Black was sitting in his chair behind a large desk that was sparsely decorated with anything that might be considered personal. That was not the way Headmaster Black saw his position. This office was not something to be personalized, but respected. He was the headmaster of, what he would deem, the most prominent wizarding institution in the world. There was no time for family photographs or personal sentiments. Instead, there was a stack of books about magical instruction.

“Ah. Albus and…” Professor Black began. He did not move from seat.

“Gellert… Gellert Grindelwald.” Albus said with a smile.

“Grindelwald…” Professor Black said. The tone of his voice suggested that he was trying to hide his disdain for anything that was foreign. He did so unsuccessfully. He gave Gellert the once over and the disdain he tried to hide in his voice was not disguised in his gaze.

One thing that Albus knew was that Professor Black despised anything that was not inherently British and inherently pureblood. He made exceptions. Albus, being of half blood descent, was one of them.

“So… Gellert, was it?” Professor Black said. “Educated at Durmstrang, I assume?”

Again, his tone suggested a question, but it was clear that he already knew the answer to the question. One of Professor Blacks poisonous characteristics was his ability to get under the skin of anyone. He was more perceptive than most and no doubt sensed Gellert’s nervousness.

Gellert looked at Albus, his eyes alight with anger, Albus who looked at him desperately not to take the bait.

Albus knew that Gellert’s temper could be the excuse Professor Black could use to keep him from accessing the secret collection of documents. While Albus knew that Gellert knew the stakes, he also knew that Gellert easily lost control.

Instead of saying anything, Gellert gave a sharp nod.

“You were asked a question _with words_!” Mr. Bastion said.

Albus had forgotten he was even in the room. Apparently all the heads of school had as well. Numerous heads swiveled in his direction, some looking disapprovingly in this disruption in the mounting tension. Others were in agreement, feeling that Gellert’s response was not deferential enough.

Professor Black held up his hand and smirked, which Albus felt was dangerous.

“It’s alright, Barnabas. I’ve often heard that Durmstrang men have little to say… and even less to show.”

Albus immediately grabbed Gellert’s hand and squeezed it. In that squeeze he put all his desperation for Gellert to remain silent. But it was in vain.

“I-” Gellert began.

The heads of the heads of school shot quickly to Gellert. Some looking on greedily in hopes that this would escalate even further.

Albus shut his eyes in fear. He knew this was it. Any chance they had at accessing the private collection would be ruined.

“I’ve heard the same thing about us,” Gellert said. His voice was shaking with suppressed rage, but somehow he found the strength to maintain a level of civility. He cleared his throat and pressed on in a tone that was deep, rich, and deferential.

“We are taught at Durmstrang that we only show our full might and full potential at specific times. This can lead to the misperception that we have nothing to show for ourselves. And for some of us, that is true. It’s especially true… ”

Albus refused to open his eyes out of fear that doing so would somehow make matters worse.

Gellert’s voice softened, and as if he cast a spell his charm began to emanate with every word he said.

“When compared to such an amazing student, like Albus here, there are few young wizards, from Durmstrang or other magical institutions, myself included, who could compete with his intellect … and passion. One can’t help but think that he is not alone in this regard at a place like Hogwarts.”

Albus’s breath hitched. Even though he could sense that Gellert was buttering Black up he couldn’t help but appreciate his words, and wondered if Gellert actually felt that way.

“I suppose we have you and the other instructors here to thank for that.” Gellert continued.

“I only wish I could have had an education like the one Albus has had, and in a beautiful place like this.”

The portraits behind Professor Black began to murmur their assent and approval rather loudly. One even saying “here here!”

Professor Black cleared his throat loudly to quell the onlookers’ comments. Albus smiling to himself, let out a long breath and opened his eyes to see Prof. Black’s pale face colored with the slightest bit of pink on his cheeks.

“Yes… um. well…” he stammered, “that is…um… very kind of you to say.” Professor Black’s voice was higher than usual and strained. He was not one to offer words of gratitude, least of all to a foreign stranger.

Gellert looked quickly at Albus’s relieved face and winked.

“But none of that,” Professor Black quipped shifting his focus to Albus, “changes the fact that you went above my head to get into the collection. I have half a mind to send you both away from here without any access at all.”

Albus gawked at him.

“But sir,” he stopped. He knew he had to say the right thing or all would be lost. “It certainly wasn’t my intention to go above your head…” the lies began to flow out of him like water from a stream.

“I had no idea that Ms. Bagshot would do that. We’re neighbors, you see, and she saw me with your letter and I was, admittedly upset. I felt that I had expressed a reasonable justification for why I should be allowed access to the archives. What is the point of them if not to encourage people to delve into the secrets they hold?”

He heard the quiet murmurs of the portraits behind Professor Black whose face was turning an off shade of beet with every word Albus spoke.

“Why house such knowledge if it’s not meant to be shared? To be explored! If I learned anything from my time at Hogwarts, from you, Headmaster, it’s that one can never go wrong with more information.”

A quiet “I’ve heard him say that to students time and time again…” was whispered by one of the past headmistresses.

“So I shared my anger with Ms. Bagshot if only to release some of the tension. I had no idea she would go to her contact and make this happen. But I am glad she did” Albus stated resolutely.

“Well… you just wait a moment, Al—” Professor Black began.

“Oh Phineas! Just let the boy in!” The voice came from, what Albus recognized immediately as, oneof the older portraits hanging behind the headmaster’s desk. The name placard read “Dilys Derwent”

“It’s not your information to protect and he’s made his case” Headmistress Derwent finished.

Her outburst led to an uproar in the office. All the portraits had apparently been waiting to weigh in on the topic. It was hard to make out what any of them were saying specifically, but Albus gathered that most of them were in support of him being granted access. He dare not look at Gellert as to draw attention to the fact that he was so excited. His heart was pounding through his chest.

“ALL RIGHT!” Professor Black yelled, and the room went silent almost immediately.

“It seems…” Professor Black began in a much lower tone.

It was clear that he was working hard to keep his temper down. Albus knew how much he hated being undermined. He remember Professor Black once gave Bobby McDougall detention for making sure that the permission Professor Black had given him to play for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team was cleared with his head of house.

“…that Mr. Dumbledore here has the support or any number of people in his pursuit to be granted access to the secret library. Since it’s been made clear that I have little say in the matter, I suppose I’m going to have to let him in.”

Albus exhaled loudly.“Oh Merlin! Thank you, sir.”

He couldn’t believe it. The way the conversation was going, he was sure that he was not going to be given access.

“You needn’t thank me. If given my way you wouldn’t be allowed in at all, but as it stands… Barnabas, please escort our… Durmstrang friend back to Hogsmede. The Three Broomsticks should suit him just fine, I believe.”

Albus looked at Gellert for the first time in what felt like an eternity and saw a brilliant smile on his face. It seemed that he too had been holding his breath not knowing whether they were going to be granted access to the collection.

“You’ll be alright?” Albus asked him reaching for his hand again.

“Of course. You just make sure you get as much as you can from this place” Gellert looked at him softly, almost lovingly.

“I will do my best.”

“I’ll see you soon.” Gellert gave Albus’s hand a squeeze.

Albus wanted to kiss him, but felt it would be more prudent to wait until a later time as to not tempt his fate with Professor Black.

“See you soon,” Albus said with a soft smile.

Gellert looked at Mr. Bastion saying, “lead the way.”

Mr. Bastion didn’t say anything, just turned and walked through the door to the office back towards the spiral staircase.

Once the office door closed with a click, Albus turned himself back to Professor Black who was talking, nearly inaudibly, to the portraits behind him.

Albus lightly cleared his throat causing the headmaster to turn around.

“Well I guess we should get this over with, shall we?” Professor Black said dryly.

“I suppose so.” Albus said, working feverishly to hide his excitement.

“If you’ll follow me.”

Professor Black turned and walked to his right and Albus’s left toward a emerald velvet curtain that was bedazzled with silver thread made to look like small snakes. He pulled it back and gestured for Albus to enter first. Albus inclined his head in thanks and walked through to find himself in a circular room lined with ornate mirrors, each one a different shape and framed differently than the next. They ascended the high walls spanning some 50 feet and reflected the light that came in from the very top of the tower.

“I’ll have you know that you may be the first Hogwarts student in five centuries to set foot in this room, let alone in the room of the where the private collection is housed,” Professor Black said.

He was watching Albus intently as Albus didn’t respond but looked around the room in awe.

As he slowly turned around he was surrounded by his own reflection. Suddenly, he stopped and looked at a tall, ornate mirror that was wider than many of the others. There was an inscription above it that made little sense, and as Albus’s mind worked to translate it, he realized it wasn’t a language he knew. Maybe it was some older derivative of an existing tongue. As he looked down from the inscription to the glass, he caught sight of his reflection, and almost jumped back. Something about it wasn’t right.

For starters, he looked somewhat older, maybe a year or two. His skin was much tanner as if he had been out in the sun everyday. This new hue made his gray eyes stand out. But it wasn’t his outward appearance that struck him the most, it was his stance, his demeanor. He stood very straight and tall as if he knew who he was and where he should be. There was a power that emanated off of him in this reflection that seemed to project authority and omniscience. 

As he fixed himself more centered in the mirror, he saw that he was not alone. To his left, both his parents were alive with his sister, who seemed whole and well, and his brother was happier than he had ever seen him. To his right stood Gellert, holding his, Albus’s, hand, glowing like him, emanating the same power. The two leaders of the new wizarding era. It reminded Albus of the dream he once had of the two of them together looking over their new followers.

Feeling his breath hitch in his chest, he turned to Professor Black and asked,

“Are these mirrors bewitched?” 

“These? Some of them are. To be honest, I spend very little time in here.” Professor Black said blandly looking around the tower. Looking at Albus intently.

“What about this one? What does it do? Show us the future? What is that inscription?” Albus questioned. Feeling excited to find that this mirror somehow showed him what his life would be. But how could it? His parents were dead. Maybe this would be his reality once he and Gellert assumed the mantle of wizarding leadership and possessed the Hallows.

“Turn around, boy and look at the mirror behind you.” Professor Black said almost annoyedly.

Albus did just that, and found his reflection staring back at him, but there was nothing special about this mirror. It was certainly taller than the one that he now saw reflected behind him. He looked at it intently, and saw that the words on the mirror now made sense.

“The words are written backwards!” Albus said surprised.

“Mmm.” Professor Black nodded.

“I show not your face but your heart’s desire” Albus read.

Turning quickly back to the mirror behind him, the images reflected back him were the ones he had seen before- his family, all of them, and Gellert by his side.

“My heart’s desire…” Albus said quietly. More to himself than to anyone else.

Of course this is what he wanted. All of it. His family back and whole, the man of his dreams by his side. What was less clear was whether the mirror showed the truth, or merely what he wanted. Did it reveal the future or merely project an image of it that the onlooker found desirable?

How much weight should he place on that inscription? And is there any significance to its being written backwards? Was it merely to throw off readers from understanding the mirror’s powers?

Perhaps, Albus thought again, the mirror revealed a glimpse of his future if he and Gellert were successful in procuring and using the Deathly Hallows. With the Hallows, Albus could bring his parents back to care for his sister and Aberforth would be happier as his level of responsibility would be significantly decreased. As for Albus and Gellert, they would be together establishing a newer, better path for the wizarding world.

Maybe it wasn’t as impossible as it seemed that the key to getting all he desired was finding out everything he needed to know about the Hallows so he and Gellert could discover their locations. His original intent was to continue this quest to be close to Gellert, but the reflection he had just seen, though not necessarily a prophecy, opened his eyes to the possibility. That was enough, the potential that everything he wanted could come true.

He hadn’t let himself believe he could attain it all, but seeing right in front of his eyes, not in his dreams, but staring back at him, lit a fire in Albus that blazed deep within him.

He stood in front of the Mirror of Desire transfixed by his reflection, but lost in his thoughts and plans.

“What do you see in that mirror that has you so enamored with your reflection, Albus?” Professor Black startled Albus out of his inner thoughts as he finally left the entrance to the tower and walked up behind Albus. It as if he was hoping to see what Albus was seeing, but the moment he entered into the mirror’s frame, Albus’s family and Gellert disappeared.

It occurred to Albus that perhaps the mirror could only show one set of desires at a time.

“I’m not sure what I saw Professor, but it has made the information I seek in this collection all the more important to me.”

“Don’t put too much stock in these mirrors and what they show you” Professor Black said with an uncharacteristic air of concern in his voice as he looked at Albus’s face reflected back at both of them. Desire and longing etched on it so clearly. 

“Their power lies not in what they show you, but what you believe once you’ve looked at them. In mirrors,magical or otherwise, all one sees is the reality the mind has created for that person.” 

Albus looked at Professor Black quizzically.

“Sir, I-” Albus began.

“As I said in my letter,” Professor Black commenced cutting off Albus’s words.

“Everything you need is in the room. I am giving you one and a half hour in the archives to get whatever information you need. You can only leave with any notes you plan to take. When your time is up, or should you chose to leave before that moment, you only need to ask the attendant, who you will meet once you arrive. Oh! And don’t be afraid. Is that clear? ” He smiled but it wasn’t a happy smile, it was a devious one.

“Yessir, but don’t be a-” Albus said started to ask.

Professor Black pointed his wand at the floor below Albus and it disintegrated. Albus plummeted downward.

As he fell, Albus tried to slow himself downby thinking of numerous spells, but it was to no avail. He tried yelling out the same enchantments thinking that, with his mind racing, non-verbal spells might be harder to perform. Still, nothing worked.

Despite his faith that Professor Black would not do anything to intentionally hurt him, he did fear that this was punishment for the way he went about gaining access to the collection. But certainly this would be beyond any punishment he thought necessary. If his intention was to hurt Albus, why not do it in the Hall of Mirrors?

No, that can’t be what he intended. It wouldn’t do for his star student to die this way. Not to mention, Professor Black is much to smart to allow witnesses to see a person he was trying to kill enter his office.

At this point Albus felt his mind spiraling while he was physically spiraling down this seemingly never-ending hole. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He just needed to think clearly. What were the instructions he had been given? He ran through what Professor Black had said to him before sending him plummeting into the depths of the castle.

“Oh! And don’t be afraid,” Albus remembered.

“That’s it!” Albus said, closing his eyes taking another deep breath in.

He allowed the realization that he was not in any real danger to flow through him and immediately he felt himself slow down. It was as if a fan from below was blowing up at him. He kept his eyes closed as to not see how far he had yet to go, and he continued breathing deeply until he felt his feet hit solid ground.

He heard the sound of slow clapping.

“Wow,” a deep voice said. “That’s probably some kind of record, you were only falling for 3 minutes before you got here. Most people fall for at least 30 minutes if not more. I did enjoy hearing you scream all those spells though. That was entertaining.”

Albus slowly opened his eyes and found himself in a cavernous room that was empty save some floating torches that spanned the room casting a low light around the space and an extremely a handsome young man standing 6 feet away from him.

He looked like one of the Sicilian wizards he’d read about when he and Elphias were planning their trip around the world. His skin was an olive hue with curly shoulder length hair that fell perfectly. He was at least as tall as Albus if not a little taller, though he looked to be a few years older than Albus.

“You have no idea who I am, do you?” He asked Albus.

Albus remained silent and smiled at him apologetically. “I’m sorry… I-”

“Figures. The golden boy of Hogwarts and modern day Godric Gryffindor himself would never pay attention to a lowly Slytherin like me.”

The man gave a faux pout and then gave a sexy grim that made Albus weak in the knees. Sex appeal oozed out of this man’s every orifice, and Albus was quickly getting caught up in it. He felt oddly drawn to him. 

“We went to school together?” Albus said trying his hardest to place this man. There is very little chance that he would have forgotten him. His face looked like something sculpted during the Renaissance.

“We did. I was in my 5th year when you arrived at Hogwarts. It wasn’t easy being the son of the Headmaster and always being shown up by a half-blood Gryffindor know-it-all, but we all get to where we’re going in the end, don’t we? You… and me… here… together.”

The man started to slowly walk towards Albus who stretched out his long arm to stop the man in his track. He felt the man’s taut chest and strong pecs flex a little under Albus’s fingers.

Albus closed his eyes as to focus on the task at hand.

“I’m sorry, your father is Professor Black? Who are you?” Albus said, finally getting his bearings.

“I’m Sirius Black, the attendant of these archives.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long. The spring semester was a bit of disaster at the start and with all that's been going on, I haven't had much time, but now that I am in the swing of things I should have more time to post chapters. 
> 
> I really wanted to explore more of how Albus ended up at Hogwarts and what that conversation with Gellert might have been like. I also loved the idea of them doing a teacher/student role play because the power dynamics of those moments can be really problematic but to have it be these two felt like a great way to explore it in a fun way. 
> 
> I also really wanted to dive into Albus's first experience with the Mirror of Erised and think about its role in pushing him towards more information about the Deathly Hallows. What he sees in the mirror is such a staple in the canonical text that it felt right to explore is further here. 
> 
> Oh... and it's not that Sirius Black lol, but I like that they share the same name. ;)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After entertaining the archives' attendent Sirius Black II for too long, Albus gets necessary information about the Peverell brothers. He also finds out that Sirius knows more about the matter than he lets on and gets an enticing invitation.

“You’re the… um… attendant here? Albus stuttered. “But you’re so…” 

“Handsome?” Sirius cut in, taking a step closer to Albus. “Irresistible?” 

Albus felt himself getting hard as he watched Sirius intently inching closer.

There was a look in Sirius’s dark eyes that was alluring and dangerous.

“Young.” Albus said matter of factly. 

“You’re so young, and this feels...” Albus gestured around to the empty room, “...like the job for a…”

“… Old spinster like Madame Pince up in the main Hogwarts library?” 

“Well, yes. I guess that is what— I mean who I was expecting.” Albus said. 

What was it about Sirius that made him feel all clammy and unprepared? 

Without saying a word, Sirius took one large step closer to Albus to the point that their noses were almost touching. Sirius was definitely taller than Albus, who had to tilt his head up ever so slightly to meet his gaze. 

Albus was hard as a rock and he knew Sirius could feel it because he could feel Sirius’s erection touching his. 

Sirius smiled and slowly started to rock back and forth on his heels causing the friction between the two members to increase as they rubbed against each other from under their robes.

“You know… when my father told me you were coming to the archives… he was furious with you by the way for going over his head, that was fun to watch…” Sirius was rambling in a resonate restrained voice, as if he were just thinking out loud. All the while he was driving Albus, who didn’t move an inch, crazy with the back and forth movement of Sirius’s cock on his own. 

“… anyway, when he told me you were coming, I didn’t know what to expect. To be fair, it’s been years since I’d seen the formidable Albus Dumbledore. I didn’t know what you would look like. I knew you would be older, but hot? I didn’t expect that…” 

He looked at him directly in the eyes and bit his bottom lip. His lips, Albus thought, were so full and pouty that he wanted to bite them. 

“My… how you’ve grown” Sirius condescended, and he reached down and grabbed Albus’s dick in his hand. Albus let out an involuntary moan. 

“Anyways, like I was saying, I hope you’re not disappointed that it’s me here and not Madame Pince.” 

“I’m not…” Albus said as he exhaled. 

He needed to focus. He didn’t have time to be dealing with this. He was on a mission to learn about the Hallows. He closed his eyes and saw the image of his reflection in the mirror-  his family and Gellert. He needed to learn as much as he could. He didn’t have time to flirt and do… whatever he was doing with Sirius. 

“… here for this” Albus said stepping back from Sirius, and out of his grip. “I’m not here for this. I need information and your father said you would tell me how to get it.” 

“Ever the bookworm it appears,” Sirius said. 

His tone was nonchalant. He didn’t seem upset at all that Albus had rejected his advances. On the contrary, he seemed to take this rejection as a challenge. His eyes were alight with something that Albus couldn’t place, and he knew he didn’t have time to. 

Sirius started pacing in a slow circle around the flustered Albus.

“I wish I could say I was surprised, but Hogwarts’s golden boy did not get that title by putting his dick in any hand that offered. No, he was focused, shrewd, and intentional. Honestly, it’s a wonder you were not sorted into Slytherin.” 

Albus was losing his patience. 

“Look, your father told me that I have one and a half hour to get as much information as I need. I don’t really have time for…” he searched for his words, but found nothing eloquent “whatever that was… this is.” he made a hand gesture between the two of them. 

Sirius smiled but didn’t say anything. 

“So tell me how this place works. What do I have to do to get what I’m looking for? Attend to me, attendant.” Albus joked in spite of himself. 

“Who knew wonder boy could be funny too? And let’s be clear, my father has little control of what goes on down here. This place is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry, not Hogwarts, which is a fact my father forgets often. That is to say that however long you’re here, he has no control. As for how the room works,” Sirius gave a sensual smirk, “you’ll have to ask nicely if you want to find out.” 

Albus rolled his eyes. He was growing tired of the games. He had to get back to Gellert with as much information as he could. 

“Come on, Sirius, just tell me how the room works.”

“Ah… ah … ahh…. If you want me to attend to you, you’ll need to follow my rules.” Sirius said with a smirk.  

He was teasing Albus. Sirius knew Albus wanted to get in and get out. He no doubt knew, because his prejudiced father would have mentioned it, that Albus had come with someone else and was being a prick. Or he was running down the clock to ensure that Albus didn’t get what he needed? 

Either way, Albus needed to play this smart.  Sirius was not going to be as easy to manipulate as Bathilda or even the Headmaster. 

He looked at Sirius who had a smirk that said “I can get you to do whatever I want. I have control. I have the power.” 

It reminded Albus of Gellert in the attic when they played wizard’s chess for the first time. But that was a very different Albus. In this moment, Albus knew what he wanted. This Albus wasn’t going to let this self-absorbed prick stand in the way of getting what he needed. 

He changed his plan of attack. He decided to give Sirius a taste of what he wanted. 

He began to slowly walk up to Sirius who stood still with that smirk on his face. Almost daring Albus to challenge him. Once Albus got close enough he reached out one arm and grabbed Sirius by waist and pulled their bodies together. As soon as their bodies touched, their cocks reacted. Sirius’s eyes went wide. He was surprised by Albus’s forwardness.

“Good,” Albus thought. 

“How about,” Albus said in a low, deep whisper “you tell me how this room works.” One of his hands moved slowly down Sirius’s lower back to his ass. Sirius gasped. 

“I confess. I’m surprised, Albus. I didn’t think you had this in you.”

“You, like so many before you, seem to think I’m predictable.” Albus said in the same seductive tone. 

Then he leaned in and kissed Sirius, who melted into him. Albus knew then that he would be able to get what he needed. But Albus also had to confess that he was enjoying himself. Taking control of the situation, using his body and brains to get what he wanted. He knew it was wrong, but he also knew it was necessary. It was in the latter that he found some solace. 

As his tongue slithered into Sirius’s mouth and his hand gently massaged his ass, Albus’s mind wandered to Gellert sitting waiting for him in the Three Broomsticks. While he felt a pang of guilt for seducing Sirius and enjoying it, he knew Gellert really wanted that information about the Hallows and would have encouraged Albus to do whatever it took to get it. 

That reality made Albus kind of sad. The thought that Gellert wouldn’t be even a little jealous about what was happening if it meant he would get more information about the Hallows. It made Albus question how much Gellert cared for him. 

Albus pulled away from Sirius who let out a small moan when Albus bit his bottom lip hard. 

Sirius stood in a daze. His dark brown eyes were hooded. He slowly blinked himself back to reality looking at Albus as if he wanted to rip his clothes off.

 Albus knew Sirius’s type. The type that was so used to being in control that when they’re not it feels foreign, but also alluring. 

“That was a surprise. You didn’t have to stop. I was quite enjoying myself.” Sirius said readjusting his dick in his robes. 

“I have no doubt you were,” Albus sighed. Sirius stepped back as if Albus’s words stung. Albus appreciated that response. 

“But as I said before, I didn’t come here for that so, please, tell me how to use this room. I know you say I don’t have to worry about time, but I can’t say I believe you. I’m more sure of your father’s spite than I am of your assurances that it will not matter.” 

“That’s understandable. If I tell you how this room works, will you do that again?” Sirius inquired. 

His tone was soft and almost earnest but there was something in it that told Albus that this was still part of his game. A game that Albus could play too. 

“Tell me and you’ll find out.” 

Sirius nodded and came to stand to the right of Albus.

“Ok. What do you want to see?” 

“Anything that has to do with the Peverell brothers.” 

“You’re going to need to be more specific. These documents have been collected since Hogwarts’s founding , and the room will bring forth anything that has any mention of the Peverells. You don’t have enough time to go through all of that.” He said the last sentence in a mocking tone. 

“So there is a time limit?” Albus said with a slight smile. He wasn’t surprised. 

“Yes. But it won’t start until I set the timer.” Sirius said. He kept his gaze forward trying not to let on any more than he had. “So is there a more specific request?” 

“Well from the research I’ve done, the Peverell brothers are said to have journals that documented their travels. Any chance one or all of them can be found here?” Albus asked.

His heartbeat was beginning to speed up. What if they were there? 

“Let’s see.” Sirius took a deep breath and yelled out “The journals of the Peverell brothers” 

Suddenly, Albus felt a rush of wind that nearly threw him forward.  Albus turned his body to the side to give the wind less surface area to push against and corrected his stance so that he could stay upright. 

Albus looked over at Sirius terrified, but Sirius looked back at him unfazed by the gale force winds. His curly locks were nearly obscuring his face as they were nearly horizontal. He seemed to be chuckling inaudibly and held up a finger, which Albus took to mean this would be over soon.   
   
Then, as quickly as it had come, the wind was gone. Albus nearly fell to the ground as a result of the abrupt ending. When he stumbled forward he noticed two small leather bound journals on the ground. They looked ancient and worn. Their covers were frayed and faded. 

He looked at Sirius excitedly, “Are these?”

Sirius shrugged. “The room always gives what is asked of it. I asked for the journals, so those must be the journals.” 

Albus, not daring to believe that the secret to defeating death and changing his life were right in front of him, bent down and grabbed both of the small journals. 

He opened the one on top and immediately noticed that it was written in Olde English and it read,   
Here lies the telling of the adventures of the Peverell Brothers as told by Antioch Peverell.  
Donated to these Archives by Iolanthe Potter.  

“THIS IS IT!” Albus screamed. His voice reverberated off the walls of the still empty room. His heart was beating through his chest. 

“Someone is excited” Sirius drawled. Seemingly not surprised that the archives had given them exactly what they asked for. 

Albus didn’t respond or even look up at him. He was still in disbelief that he had found not one but two of the lost journals of the Peverell brothers, and that he could have all the answers to finding and harnessing the power of the Hallows in his hands. 

He pulled out the one below Antioch’s journal, and opened it. 

“Be careful with those, Albus, they must be what…”

“Over 500 years old, yes. Sorry I’m a bit excited. I’ll be more mindful.” Albus said quickly and dismissively. 

Again, the second journal was in Olde English and belonged to the youngest brother, Ignotus. Albus looked around for the third journal but did not find it. 

“There were three brothers, but there are only two journals here.” Albus said turning around to find Sirius sitting down at a long oak table that had two chairs, a set of quills, ink, and numerous extremely long rolls of parchment. There was also an hourglass on the table that was dropping sand into its already more than quarter-filled bottom. 

“Is that how much time I have left?” Albus asked panicked. 

“Yes, looks to be just under an hour. Guess you were right,” Sirius said with a wicked smile, “my father’s time limit does mean something.” 

“You did this on purpose, you git!” Albus marched over the the table, grabbed a quill, and ink and began sat down to begin transcribing. 

“Well, my father said to distract you as much as I could. I told you he was furious that you went over his head. But he did not say how, he left that up to me. I must say, it worked out well for me, and now you owe me.” Sirius said in a low tone. 

“I don’t owe you anything and whatever I do give you will be what you deserve. Now, go away. I’ve got worked to do and not much time to do it in. Can I use magic down here?”

“Of course you can” Sirius said. “Why? What does the greatest mind of Hogwarts have planned?” 

Rolling his eyes, Albus pulled out his wand, pointed at the quill, and muttered, “scribere mentalise.”

The quill glowed a blue tint and slowly levitated over to the ink jar, dipped itself in, and hovered at the ready over the parchment Albus had in front of him. 

“How clever! Let me guess, you read to it, and it writes it down.” Sirius said trying to sound unimpressed. 

Without looking up, Albus said, “I think, it writes. I’m a faster thinker than I am orator.” 

“Ah! Clearly. I’ll leave to your thinking then. I’ll be back for you when your time is up. Tik toc.” Sirius chided. 

Albus looked at the hour glass, took a deep breath, and opened the journal of the oldest brother. He had already gotten the account of the youngest. If he had time, he would try to corroborate what he’d read in Uncle Bishop’s notes. 

He leafed through the pages trying to find something that was similar to what was in the “Tale of the Three Brothers” or in Uncle Bishop’s account of Ignotus’s adventures. As he quickly skimmed pages he saw numerous tales of adventures that involved fighting mermaids in a far off lagoon and wrestling trolls in the mountains. Most of those adventures seemed to be just with him and Cadmus, which Albus took to mean that Ignotus was too young. 

He thought that was an important detail to tell Gellert. Immediately, he heard the quill start to scratch against the parchment. He smiled to himself. The thought writing charm was one that he had come up with during his time at Hogwarts. It was almost impossible to study for NEWTs if you were reading and having to stop and take notes. With this spell, he was able to accomplish much more than others at his level. 

Growing impatient as the sands of the hourglass fell quickly, Albus jumped to pages closer to the end of the journal, hoping that there would be something there he could use. He read. 

_I have done it. I have completed the wand…_

Albus stopped. He could feel his heartbeat in his ears. This was it, he thought, and he heard the quill continue to write. He began flipping the pages backwards in hopes that he could find something in the preceding pages that provided more of an explanation. 

He stopped again, and began to read, making a note to think his translation into English so that Gellert would be able to understand the transcription. 

_Ignotus has finally decided that he will come with me and Cadmus tonight. He has always been too afraid to venture out with us. But now that he has passed all of his tests at Hogwarts, he feels more equipped to handle whatever we may come across._

_While I appreciate his sense of self-preservation, I hardly think there is much that the Peverells cannot handle. I have told him time and time again what our father told me; our blood is filled with the potency of some of the most powerful wizards known to man. There is little that will be able to defeat us. When I was younger, father instilled in me that knowledge and with it an understanding that protecting this family’s name, honor, and legacy was my most important responsibility. He told often me that it was my job, as the oldest, to do all that I could to ensure our family name never died. We were painfully aware of how precarious the lineage of our family’s name was having lost friends of prominent households in the wizarding wars of old, and watching their names be so quickly forgotten in the annals of history. That could not happen to us._

_To that end, he made us learn our family history until we could recite by heart, we had to read about all of the other families in Godric’s Hollow whose names had been lost. Father wanted to make sure that Cadmus and I never showed any fear, or were unprepared for any attack. Before we even left for Hogwarts, he taught us offensive spells, and made us duel each other regularly so that if we ever got into a tussle at school or elsewhere, we would be ready. By the time I was in my third year, no one in Slytherin house would challenge me. Our family’s legacy was well known and respected, and my dueling skills were feared._

_It was similar when Cadmus arrived at Hogwarts in my 4th year. He was prepared and didn’t need me to protect him. We were the Peverell brothers, what did we have to be afraid of?_

_But, my parents had Ignotus later in life. I was in my second year at Hogwarts when he was born. My parents had gotten softer and more docile in their old age, and raised him very differently than they had me or Cadmus. They coddled him. He was not taught our family history or how to duel, he was given books and taken on trips to other wizarding villages instead. When we did spend time with him, our mother was always saying that Cadmus and I were too rough with him. They spoiled him rotten with whatever he wanted. He was a kind boy, he did not have Cadmus and I to toughen him up as we were away at school so he was friends with our servants, playing all kinds of non-sense games. He was soft and remains so to this day._

_But none of that matters now. He is coming with us, and we will teach him all he needs to know about protecting himself and this family. We will make a Peverell man out of him yet._

_Cadmus has plotted our course East, and we will set out tonight._

“East,” Albus thought. 

He remembered that Uncle Bishop’s notes mentioned how Ignotus said that he and his brothers were going East, and left in the dead of night to avoid being seen by nosy neighbors. This is an important connection to verify what he already knew.

He continued.

_We had heard tale of wizards and witches in the East who did not use wands, but relied solely on their minds to perform magic. We were eager to see how this was done and whether they were any match for us. Of course, we too could perform wandless magic, but found that our enchantments were more powerful when we used our wands. It seemed arcane not to channel one’s magic through some type of object. After all, house eleves use wandless magic, and we are far superior to them. But still, we wanted to see these people, to understand them._

_Everything is ready. Our house eleves have been preparing all that we will need to be safe and comfortable on this journey. We intend to be gone for maybe 24 months.  We will have one last meal with our parents and will venture off._

Antioch was a very detailed writer. Albus appreciated how much precision he took in accounting these adventures, but with every look at the hourglass, he felt the sense of urgency rise in his chest. He needed more information than this. While this gave him some details that matched what Ignotus had told Bishop, they did not provide any insights into the whereabouts of the Hallows. 

Albus skimmed through about a dozen of pages where Antioch discussed the dinner with his parents and brothers, their mother’s insistence that they not go on another adventure having nearly died on the last one.  Cadmus left dinner early to go visit the grave of his beloved, Beatrice Gaunt. He had planned on proposing to her upon his return from this adventure, but she had died two months before. 

Albus wondered if this Beatrice is the love that the second brother lost in Beedle’s tale. There is not a lot of detail other than she died too soon. Albus could easily imagine how losing the love of one’s life would drive them to grief and a great desire to use whatever magic at their disposal to bring them back.  This understanding resonated with Albus in a meaningful way and took his mind back to the reflection he saw in the Mirror of Desire. He needed to do whatever he had to to make that reflection a reality. He turned back to the pages of the journal. 

Antioch detailed how they left the house in the darkest hours as to avoid being seen, and set out for the woods of their property that would take them East. They expected to arrive in the approximate location in 10 to 12 months. They took their time trying to get there as Cadmus and Antioch thought doing this adventure “like a muggle” would give them time to toughen up Ignotus. 

When asked by the youngest brother why they were not simply apparating, they told him that they did not know the exact destination and thus could not apparate. He believed them (Antioch called him a ‘gullible fool’ for this). 

Antioch discussed the numerous creatures he and his brothers faced on their journey. The boggarts that dwelled in the caves they took shelter in, the kappas who were lurking in the waters they crossed. They swore they heard the cry of werewolves. They also came across creatures they had never heard of before or learned about— large serpents with three heads, bulls that breathed fire, and even a dragon. 

 The brothers killed some of these creatures as they made their way through. Despite the protests of Ignotus, Antioch often felt that killing the creatures was the best way to ensure they did not encounter them again. He would tell him “this is about dominance.”

Albus paused here again as his mind went to Gellert and his own quest for dominance. He did not have to push himself very hard to see the similarities between Gellert and Antioch. He did not feel good about it. 

As Albus continued reading quickly through the pages, he looked up to find that his bewitched quill had moved on to other rolls of parchment and was still writing. He looked to the right of the quill and saw that he had less than half an hour to get the information he needed before he would be kicked out of the archives. 

He returned back to the pages of the journal and began skimming again until he saw Antioch’s handwriting go from a neat scrawl to manic. Albus stopped here and read more intently.  

_There are devils among us that no man has met before. They whisper terrible things in the mind that still the heart._

_One night, as my brothers and I were making our way to our destination, we came across a river that was too wild to cross. But, based on Cadmus’s research, we needed to cross this river to get to the village we were seeking. In an act of arrogant desperation, Cadmus tried to cross the river without the use of magic and almost drowned. I had to summon him from the water after he was carried more than 7 meters away. After not using magic for many weeks, we decided to conjure a bridge that we could cross._

_Ignotus told us that he had a feeling that we should just turn back. He felt like we should figure out another way around the river and cross during the daylight. Cadmus and I told him that there was nothing in this world that could stop the Peverell Three, and that he needed to recognize his own power._

_It took some time, but we convinced him that we would be fine, that nothing on the other side of this river would be a match for us together._  

Again, Albus took a pause. This story was coming together in almost exactly the way the tale in Beedle’s book was told, and from Uncle Bishop’s notes. 

This was much more than a coincidence. He found where he had left off and continued reading. 

_We put the bridge together and, to assuage Ignotus’s concerns, decided that we would cross it together. That way no matter what happened we would be able to protect one another. As soon as our feet touched the land on the other side, all three of us were frozen._

_Albus made a mental note that this was inline with what Ignotus had told Uncle Bishop._

_I will admit that I was immediately terrified. I was unable to move my body at all. I hadn’t heard a spell yelled out, and no matter how much I tried to think of spells in my mind, nothing happened. My eyes were open and I could still move them from side to side. Cadmus was right in front of me, but I couldn’t see his face._

_It was dark, unnaturally dark, as if there was some sort of concealment placed on this forest._

_I could not see them immediately. Then, I saw their silhouettes. Human bodies moving all around us. They weren’t creatures, they were people, wizards even. They didn’t come close to us. They stayed in the shadows of the trees, but I did not need to see them to feel their presence and hear them._

_A multitude of low whispering echoes reverberated in my mind. They was sinister and unforgiving. They chilled my blood._

_‘Arrogant fools,’ they said.  ‘You sought us and have found us. You’ve come to prove yourselves worthy adversaries, but you are not worthy.’_

_I felt them rummaging around in my mind. Rifling through memories, thoughts, and desires. They were exceedingly powerful. Despite all the training I had done to keep people out of my mind, they infiltrated it with ease, and took pleasure in knocking down all of my mental barriers._

_They spoke again,_

_‘You, Antioch, have worked so hard to make your father proud. Learned all the spells, fought everyone who stood in your way. You are the eldest, the strongest, the most powerful, the one meant to carry your family name. And yet, here you are captured, powerless, and standing face to face with your end. Even with that little stick in your hand, you cannot defeat us._

_We are your reckoning. We are your humility. Your empathy. Your death._

_You came to show us how strong you are. You are nothing. Wasteful, disappointing. And now you will stand here and watch your brothers die, all while holding on to the one thing you swore made you better than all other magical creatures. How that must feel for you. To know that all that work, dedication, and practice has led you to be frozen in this place without any power at all._

_We saw you and your brothers. We hoped, for your sake, that the river would keep you all at bay. But, like many fools before you, you all thought your powers would be your savior. Yet, with all that power, you couldn’t feel us waiting for you here?’_

_No amount of effort made it possible for me to cast a spell or communicate with either of my brothers. We were all there, lost. Never before had I felt so useless as I had in that moment. Even with my wand, that pitiful piece of wood, in my hand, these creatures, these beasts had come and robbed me of the one thing I had always relied upon, my power. And even worse, I just knew that I, along with my brothers, would die in this forest._

_They seemed to feast on my anguish. Their taunts persisted._

_‘Live, knowing that you, like many men before you, have fallen into a trap laid for you by those more powerful and more cunning. Know, that nothing you have at your disposal, not your training, not your family name, not that little stick could protect you from us. Let the reality of your mediocrity weigh you down. Let the truth that  every breath you draw, for the rest of your days, is because of our mercy and not your power.’_

_I felt them laughing at me._

_Then, as quickly as it had come, the power over me vanished. I fell forward and vomited on the ground. I looked around quickly hoping to find both Cadmus and Ignotus alive. I was relieved to find that they too had fallen forward but were still breathing._

The entry ended there. 

Albus quickly flipped to the next page to find the words that he had read earlier. 

_I have done it. I have completed the wand._  
_I have single handedly created the most powerful wand known to wizard-kind._

_It has been a year since my brothers and I encountered the Whisperers we sought. After months of searching those woods for them we found only traces of their magic, but no indication of who they are or where they might have gone. Those devils had taken so much from us- our sense of security, our honor, and our pride. I could barely look my brothers in the eyes. I was supposed to be the one that protected them. I am the oldest. I have always told them and myself that the blood that flows through our veins is that of magical royalty, but in the face of faceless foes, that blood froze inside of me. I was no better than a muggle, worse even. Even without magic they can defend themselves._

_My brothers too were shaken by the events, but they did not seek to remedy this problem by finding our attackers. On the contrary, Ignotus had become more paranoid, and wanted nothing to do with finding these people. He said they whispered to him that if they had not seen us, we would not have been attacked. He kept saying that he knew we should not have crossed the river, that it was our fault for what happened to us, and that our intentions were not right and they knew it. He did not want to fight them, he wanted to keep himself hidden from them._

_He was adamant that we should be thinking about how to properly conceal ourselves, not make ourselves more powerful. When I told him that we could just use disillusionment charms on ourselves, he said that was not good enough. That spells and enchantments could still hit us, and that in order to be truly protected we needed something more powerful. He demanded that we only travel during daylight, and at night would cast copious amounts of protective charms around our dwellings._

_Eventually, he left us to go find a way to conceal himself as to avoid something like this in the future._

_Cadmus, too, had heard the whispers, but the voices told him something different than both me and Ignotus. They said that he would never find a love like the one he had lost in Beatrice. They told him that he would die alone, and there was nothing he could do. Unlike Ignotus, Cadmus took this as a challenge. Like me he felt that the creatures were doubting our power, that we would be unable to prove them wrong. He said, he would find a way to bring his Beatrice back and live the life he had intended for them. He vowed, before leaving himself, that the Whisperers would not plague his mind forever, that he would find a way to make death bow to him, and that when he did, he would find them and show them just how powerful he was._

_Before my brothers left we said we would all return home in a year to check on our mother and father and share what we had found._

_I promised myself that I would never feel that powerless again. Something the voices kept saying was etched in my mind, “Even with that little stick in your hand, you cannot defeat us.” My wand was proven to be useless. But I was not useless. It was then that I realized that I needed a wand that matched my own power. A wand that in the face of anything would be more powerful than any other. So that if and when I came across this foe again, I would not be helpless._

_I spent months reading about the art of wand making. I studied under some of the finest wand makers who, because of the Ollivander family’s monopoly, were overlooked by many. I learned about the power of certain combinations. Many discouraged me from my quest saying that “the wand chooses the wizard.” I rejected those claims citing that there was no way that the wand that chose me would fail me in times of need._

_All the wands I made for myself were weak. In duels, I would be successful but not because it was special but because I was exceptional. I needed something more, something nonconventional, something that would set my wand apart from all others._

_Then I was struck with the idea to use a core that few wands were able to possess because of the difficulty in attaining the object- the hair of a thestral. But in my reading, thestrals were difficult to catch owing to their invisibility. Only those who had seen death would be able to find and see a thestral. But I had seen death. In the woods with my brothers, I had seen what it would mean to die. I had faced what my death would be, and I survived. It was with the assurance that I knew that when I faced a thestral, I would be able to see it and collect one of its hairs. It took ages for me to find a pack of thestrals, but when I did the act of taking its hair was simple._

_I selected the wood of an elder tree that I had found in the same forest in which my brothers and I were attacked. My mentors told me that elder was a tricky wood to master because it never chose a master it felt was unworthy of its power. There were numerous tales of wizards whose wands of elder betrayed them in their time of need. I did not care about those wizards, I knew that I was worthy. I had survived the attack of the Whisperers and there was nothing on this Earth that would come close to that encounter._

_Two weeks ago, I completed the wand and had been able to perform simple tasks with it, but its allegiance required more. It required blood. I needed to show it that I was worthy to possess it. So I searched out Philonius Bagmore, an old school rival of mine from Hogwarts. He was a filthy half-blood Gryffindor who was responsible for the one defeat I had in dueling club in my 7 years at school. He used a curse of his own design that turned my hands to stone causing me to fall over like a fool and forfeit the match. He became “The Boy who took down Hogwarts’s Great Dueler.” He disgraced me, much like the Whisperers had. But unlike the Whisperers, I knew where to find him._

_I traveled to where I knew he lived, found him in a pub, challenged him in a duel, and killed him._

_He put up a good fight. He was always an exceptional dueler, but he was no match for me and my elder wand. As Bagmore’s life left his body, I felt my power over my elder wand solidify. It was mine._

_The blood of my enemy was the key to its power. It required sacrifice. It required death._

_But this wasn’t enough. I needed to test its power against someone else, many others even. I wanted to take back the power I had lost in the forest. I wanted to show whoever doubted me that this piece was wood in my hand was more than just a stick, it was the harbinger of death. So I traveled to village called Woodmore to find a worthy opponent._

Albus flipped the page and found that there was nothing left. That was the last page of the journal. As Albus flipped through, the journal vanished from his hand. 

“What in Merlin’s na-” 

He looked at the hourglass and saw that his time had run out. He heard a door in the distance open and knew that Sirius had come to escort him back to the castle’s entrance. 

“Looks like your time is up. Hope you got all the information you needed.” Sirius said as he sauntered back to the table. Albus began collecting the numerous rolls of parchment and cast a quick spell that bound them together making them easier to carry. 

“No you don’t. You don’t care what information I got.” Albus rolled his eyes standing up from the table. 

“When you’re right, you are right” Sirius said. 

“But I did get everything I needed” Albus said defiantly. 

He didn’t know why but Sirius really got under his skin. Maybe it was because he had delayed him, or his smug sense of superiority. Whatever it was, it made Albus want to kiss him wildly and then hex him. 

“I suppose I should take you back now,” Sirius said.

“That would be preferred. I have someone waiting for me.”

“Ah yes! The Durmstrang boy. Father was particularly furious that you were bringing a foreigner here.”

“Does your father tell you everything? Or do you just intuit his every feeling?” Albus quipped as he did a final check to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. 

“A bit of both, I guess” Sirius said matter of factly. Again, he didn’t seem to be off put by the comment. 

Sirius began walking towards the door from whence he had come which was in a hallway the seemingly appeared from nowhere. They walked past that door and continued about 100 paces and came to another door.  Sirius simply walked through it as if it weren’t there. Albus followed suit and found himself in a spiral stair well that stretched up probably 30 stories. 

Sirius stopped and turned back to face Albus. There was about 2 feet between them and the space rippled with sexual tension. Despite his general annoyance with Sirius, Albus couldn’t help but recognize how handsome he was.

“Tell me something…” his lips quirked. 

Albus looked at him quizzically.

“What do you plan to do with the Deathly Hallows if you find them and if they are real? And What in Merlin’s name does any of this have to do with that dung brained Durmstrang man?”

Deciding to play dumb, Albus inquired, “what are you talking about?” 

“Oh. Don’t play stupid with me, Genius Boy. No one looks into the Peverells because they are interested in old wizarding families that have died out. Especially not half-bloods like yourself. No. You and your Durmstrang bonbon must be seeking out the Deathly Hallows. Everyone who knows anything knows that they are connected. And it is clear to me that you have done extensive research on the matter since you knew about these journals, which means you’ve already heard the tale of one of the brothers from another source.”

“How do you know all of this?” Albus said. He stood his ground. He didn’t want to give too much away of what he knew or didn’t know. 

“Darling, I’m a pureblood. The Peverells were one of the most prominent wizarding families and one of the biggest cautionary tales for people like me and my family.” 

Albus looked at him confused. “Cautionary tales?” 

“Three male heirs. One has a boy, who only has one daughter who marries into, and takes the name of, one of the most disgracefully common pureblood families that exists- the Potters.” 

The disdain oozed from Sirius like honey from a honeycomb. 

“So yes, we male heirs to pureblood dynasties learn all about the Peverells, and what not to do. Running off and getting yourself killed, learning necromancy only to end up as one of the dead, and living only to have a girl heir. A triumvirate of disappointment, that lot.” 

“… learning necromancy?” Albus quipped with a smirk. Sirius had slipped that information in. He took a step forward if only to see some of the color drain from Sirius’s face. It was clear that he hadn’t intended on sharing that information.  

“You’ve been studying them too, haven’t you? Looking for the Hallows? How do you know what Cadmus, I am assuming that’s who you are talking about, went and studied Necromancy? That’s in nothing I have read and his journal hasn’t been found.”

“Aren’t you listening? I’m a pure blood, Albus. We care about one thing, legacy. We are just as interested in finding the objects that can make us impervious to death as anyone else, if not more. A family name can live on forever if its carriers never die. The sanctity and security of pureblood lines would be assured in perpetuity. So yes, I’ve done a little digging. As for how I know, I work in a secret secluded archives under Hogwarts castle. What do you think I do with my days? Knit?”

Albus wanted to know what Sirius had learned about the middle brother. He needed as much information as he could get. He knew what Sirius wanted, to feel superior, like he could have Albus if he wanted him. 

Albus took another step forward. Putting himself almost nose to nose with Sirius. 

“Tell me what you know.” His tone wasn’t dangerous. It was smooth and seductive, like silk on bare skin. “Please?” 

“It really is a wonder the Sorting Hat did not put you into Slytherin. Talk about using ‘any means to achieve your ends.’ I won’t lie. This is very inviting,” he said looking down at Albus’s erection.   
“But the moment is gone, Golden Boy. My father will be coming to make sure you’ve left. You had your chance when you first fell into the archives. You chose those journals over this.” He grabbed Albus’s hand and brought it to his swollen member. 

Albus knew he wouldn’t win by arguing with Sirius. He just needed to create another opportunity.   
He gave Sirius’s dick a light squeeze. 

“Another time then?”

“Perhaps,” Sirius said pretending to think about it. 

“You can come to my family home. What you’ll want to see is there. It will be fun. Who knows if a half-blood has ever stepped foot inside 12 Grimmauld Place. My mother will have a fit. I will send you an owl. You can even bring your Dungstrang friend. Maybe mother will faint.” 

He seemed to relish his mother’s demise. 

“I look forward to getting your owl. Now how do I get out of here? Hopefully not the way I came in.”

“No, just walk up these stairs, and you will end up near the front doors of the castle.” Sirius said, side stepping Albus and pointing up the staircase. 

Albus looked in the direction Sirius pointed and snapped back to look at him. 

“Why in Circe’s name did I have to go through that falling charade?! I could have just walked down here!” Albus’s elevated voice echoed off the stone walls and up the staircase. 

Sirius just smirked condescendingly. 

“Where’s the fun in that?” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really loved writing this chapter. Thinking about ways to weave some realism into the Tale of the Three Brothers was a challenge and a lot of fun. 
> 
> Albus now has a location for where Antioch took the Elder Wand and probably was killed. This is the first real clue he has gotten that he can share with Gellert about the whereabouts of the Hallows. 
> 
> I also really liked the dynamic between Sirius and Albus. Sirius II is very different from Sirius III in meaningful ways, but they are both playful and arrogant. This Sirius puts a lot of stock in being a pureblood, and seems to resent Albus for being as lauded as he was despite being a half blood. I plan to explore that resentment more in the next chapter. 
> 
> How do you think Gellert will feel about Sirius and Albus's sexual chemistry? Do you think Albus's concerns that Gellert only cares about getting the necessary information at all costs is true? Or do you think Gellert will be jealous of this connection between the two?


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus and Gellert go to meet Sirius Black II for lunch and a game in hopes of learning more about the Deathly Hallows and the Peverell brothers.

It was a Thursday afternoon in late July, and Albus and Gellert stood squinting up at a line of buildings as the bright sun shone over the rooftops sending the sun straight into their eyes. It was warm outside and both young men were sweating as they stared at a gap between two buildings.

“Are you sure this is the place?” Gellert asked holding his hands above his eyes. 

“It has to be either 11 or 13, right? Those are the only two numbers I see. Are you sure this is the correct street?”

Albus rolled his eyes, and pulled out the letter that he had gotten from Sirius two weeks before. It had been delivered by an Eagle Owl in a delicately folded and beautifully written envelope.

_Dear Lord of Half-Bloods,_

_You (and your Dungstrang beau) are cordially invited to lunch and a game at my family’s ancestral home on the 28_ _ th _ _of July at one in the afternoon._

_Upon your arrival at Grimmauld Place, read and memorize the following:_

_The Noble House of Black is located at 12 Grimmauld Place._

_Then look at the gap between 11 and 13 think about what you have memorized._

_Bring nothing but yourselves. Everything else will be provided. We do so look forward to having you here._

_Regards,_

_Sirius Black II_

_P.S. Make sure, he bathes._

 

“It says here we are meant to memorize this,” Albus showed Gellert the letter holding his finger over the part that suggested Gellert did not bathe, “and think about it.”

Both men looked at each other, seemingly thinking the sentence they had just memorized simultaneously. They turned their heads to find a new building blooming from between the Numbers 11 and 13.

The burgeoning building’s structure was simple in its design. In fact, it looked similar to the adjacent buildings, and if it had not just appeared between two buildings with the mere thought of it, one could mistake it for another muggle dwelling.

Well, not quite. 12 Grimmauld Place had ornate silver window dressings that Albus could tell were Goblin made. No wizard could have crafted something so beautiful and detailed. The shutters were painted the signature emerald green of Slytherin house, which did not surprise Albus in the slightest. The paint seemed to have been painted with the dust of emeralds themselves as they shined and reflected the sun’s light. The stairs leading up to the house where polished marble with silver specks that shone bright in the high sitting sun. The door was the same green as the shutters with a twisted diamond encrusted snake door knocker. The snake’s mouth was open as it would bite the hand of anyone who dared to knock on the door.

They stood fixed to the spot on the walking path across the street as they watched the edifice come into shape.

“Is this normally how well off wizards live?” Gellert asked, looking at Albus confused.

“No. Only those who want to show off, or have something to hide. Both can be applied to the Blacks. This family goes back probably as far as any of the old pure-blood families do, including the Peverells. They have protected their blood status by marrying cousins and the like. They even look down on other pureblood families they do not think are worthy of their status. Dear friends of mine, the Weasleys, are pureblood but have a reputation as “blood-traitors” for their interest in muggles. They are part of ‘the Sacred Twenty-Eight,’ but are hanging on- ”

“The what?” Gellert inquired, chuckling.

Albus sighed. He hated knowing that certain customs, particularly those that he felt were disastrous, were unique to the British wizarding society.

“The Sacred Twenty-Eight. It’s the 28 families that claim to have only ancestry with wizarding blood. How they prove it is anyone’s guess, but they believe it and have structured their worlds around it. During the time before the Statute of Secrecy when muggles and wizards consorted with one another, these families parlayed with muggle royalty. It seems their prejudice against muggles only went as far as their class and status within muggle society. What’s more, is the highest concentration of wizarding gold is found in many of the Gringotts vaults of these families. And many of the laws we follow now were constructed by them some 200 years ago when we implemented the Statute of Secrecy.”

Albus was filled with disdain at the very thought of dealing with these people, let along going into this place. His mother often told him about the abuse she endured at the hands of people in the sacred 28. He knew what being on the wrong side of these families looked like, and having experienced the manipulation and seduction of Sirius Black once before, he wasn’t excited to potentially do it again.

However, once he had shared with Gellert that Sirius had more information about Cadmus Peverell, Gellert was determined to get that information. So here they were standing in front of this gaudy building prepared to do whatever it may take to get this information.

“Now, you remember what I told you?” Albus said turning his head towards Gellert.

“These people do not like anyone who is not pureblood or British. Sirius, like his father, will probably say things to get you wound up. Don’t fall for it. He may even…” Albus took a deep breath, “make a few passes at me to get you jealous. Everything is a game for families like the Blacks. They don’t care about much because they have enough gold to last them a lifetime, and enough status in the wizarding world to rewrite history if they see fit. They will not be threatened by you and you cannot out wit them. All they have left is their blood, their gold, and their wit. We will have to play by Sirius’s rules if we are serious about getting this information”

Gellert chuckled.

“What?” Albus asked missing the joke.

“We need to be serious about Sirius’s rules” Gellert said with a laugh.

Albus shook his head and gave him a withering look.

“I’m serious, Gellert!”

“So is he.” Gellert inclined his head towards 12 Grimmauld Place and laughed some more.

In response to the severe look Albus gave him, Gellert cleared his throat and nodded,

“I’ll be on my guard but will do my best not to mess this up. We are so close. We have information from the oldest and youngest brothers that matches Beedle’s story. We have a location for the inn where the older brother went and was probably killed. We are getting everything we need to really begin to track down the Hallows. So I don’t care what he does, I will not get and angry or jealous. We need this information. If it takes a little flirting on your end to get us there, then so be it.”

He winked at Albus.

Albus felt a pang of annoyance and, admittedly hurt, at Gellert’s last statement. His concern that Gellert was more worried about getting information about the Hallows and less about losing Albus to another man reared its ugly head. Gellert seemed to think that using Albus was fair game to meet his ends.

In Albus’s mind that’s not how relationships worked. Albus wanted Gellert to be enraged at the idea of another man making advances at him. He wanted to see that jealousy. It was one of the few ways Albus felt he would really be able to know how Gellert felt about him. The sex between them was amazing as was the conversation, but those felt like something casual, and Albus wanted solid proof. 

He remembered feeling the same way when he told Gellert everything that had happened when he left the Hogwarts archives. Albus was so excited to tell him about what he had found, and nervous to detail his intimate tet a tet with Sirius.

Apparently, Gellert felt that he wasn’t being welcomed at the Three Broomsticks. He claimed too many people were giving him nasty glances because of his accent and foreign looks. So, despite his original protestations about the Hogshead Inn, he decided to try it out. He loved it. Or so he said in slightly slurred words when Albus arrived looking franticly for him.

After getting him a pepper up potion and a hydration draught both of which sobered him up enough that he could sit on his own and understand what Albus was saying, Gellert was rapt with excitement listening to Albus retell what he had found out from the oldest brother’s journal.

He told him everything that happened after Gellert left with Mr. Bastion, but left out seeing Gellert and his family in the mirror. That was private and just for him.

Gellert couldn’t believe that the archives actually held the journals, and that the oldest brother’s tale supported both Uncle Bishop’s notes and Beedle’s story. He was glee-ridden. So much so that when Albus explained that he had to use seduction to get Sirius to access the archives for him, Gellert waved his hands as if this news were an irksome, but innocuous, fly buzzing in his face.

Albus did his best to hide his hurt. He had really hoped to see some kind of emotional signal that Gellert cared for him enough to be jealous. Instead, he got a lacksidasical gesture and a slight chuckle out of him.

But once they left the Hogshead Inn things changed. The men felt themselves pass through Hogwarts’s wards signaling that they would be able to apparate back to Godric’s Hollow, Gellert pulled Albus into a deserted alley between a sweets shop and an abandoned souvenirs store front.

“What are you do-”

Albus didn’t get that last word out as Gellert’s mouth crashed on to his, pushing Albus’s body against the wall of a shop roughly. They kissed in earnest, their tongues dancing around each others with a passion and desire that suggested they had not seen one another in ages. It was as if they hadn’t had sex twice up at the castle mere hours ago.

Gellert pulled back. His eyes were dark and dangerous. He looked at Albus like a lion looks at its prey through the high grass. The stare was carnal and possessive. Wordlessly, he snaked his hand down to Albus’s hard dick, which ached having been active so much that day, and began to jerk it roughly.

Albus moaned.

“Is this what you and that Sirius did in the archives?”

Gellert’s voice was low and haunting. The faint smell of fire whiskey stung Albus’s nostrils as he tried to regulate his breathing while being stroked.

“No—” he murmured in a pitch higher than his normal speaking voice.

“Did he kiss you like this?”

Gellert leaned into Albus’s neck, keeping a steady rhythm going on his cock, and began to kiss and suck roughly. Albus knew by what he was doing it would leave a mark, which he surmised was Gellert’s intent. Something about this made Albus’s heart leap. Gellert was jealous.

“No,” Albus moaned. His hips started to meet Gellert’s stroke.

“Did he say things like this?” He leaned in close to Albus’s ear, and whispered “you’re mine.” Then bit his ear lobe roughly.

Albus gasped.

Hearing those words almost pushed him over the edge. He began pushing his hips more fervently into Gellert’s hand and whispering “no” repeatedly.

He felt Gellert smile broadly. “Good.”

Gellert released Albus’s member, stepped back, and spun on the spot vanishing in thin air leaving Albus confused and content.

 

“Albus…” Gellert’s words snapped him back to the present. Albus turned to look at him, squinting.

“I promise, I won’t ruin this for us.”

Albus nodded.

Together they crossed the street to 12 Grimmauld Place and made their way up the stairs. Albus felt a shift in the space around him as they reached the front step, and knew that they had passed into the wards of the estate.

Albus and Gellert looked at each and gave the other a slight nod. Albus reached for the diamond emblazoned knocker, but as his hands were mere centimeters from it, the door opened quickly. A young man around the age of 18 came rushing out of the house looking harassed, disheveled, and confused.

Albus only had a second’s glance but noticed that the man’s eyes were out of focus and that he was hastily reassembling his clothes, but they weren’t robes, he had been wearing muggle attire. It looked as it he had been confunded or had his memory modified.

“Excuse me” the young man said vacantly as he made his way between Gellert and Albus, down the stairs. Stumbled down the path as if he had been drinking, and then took a right, disappearing out of sight.

“Mister Dumbledore and his Durmstrang friend,” a low, grumbly, but cheerful voice let out. Albus looked back at the doorway to find it empty.

“Please come in,” the same voice said.

Albus looked down to find a house else staring back up at him. The elf seemed to be younger, but was wearing an old hand towel that had been fashioned into a garment. His eyes were large and blue and he had large bat-like ears. The elf stepped aside and offered an arm gesturing the men into the home.

Albus, taking one last glance at Gellert and giving him a reluctant smile, stepped into the dark foyer. Gellert followed.

They stepped into a narrow space that was decorated as if it was the most grand room in the house. Albus found it a bit gaudy with the gold dusted cloak hooks and the numerous framed portraits that lined the expansive hallway. They seemed to be portraits of Black ancestors. Some of them were staring at the new guests with disdain as if anyone who entered in was inherently beneath them.

Despite the bright light of the outside, once they had stepped inside the light faded and they found themselves in a relatively dimly lit space with torches that lined the foyer and the hallway that stretched ahead of them. There was a faint smell of lavender in the air which Albus thought was uncharacteristic of a place like this, and reminded him of Aberforth’s garden. His mind drifted to what his brother would think if he knew why he was here.

“Selfish.” 

A word that Aberforth used to cut Albus like a knife months ago swam to the forefront of his consciousness, and Albus felt a pang of guilt. With every passing day it seemed like he was proving his brother right, but Aberforth just didn’t understand, he hadn’t seen the reflection in the mirror of Desire. He didn’t see their family back together again. Finding the Hallows was a way to make all of that happen. He would understand the means of bringing that reflected desire to pass would absolutely justify the means Albus and Gellert were taking.

The front door closed with a loud bang. Albus jumped a bit.

“May I take your cloaks?” The house elf inquired coming from behind Albus and Gellert who had walked further down the hallway upon their entrance. The elf inclined his head a sign of respect.

“Yes, please” Albus said.

He wanted to be polite to the creature knowing how they were generally treated by their masters. There was a long history, particularly amongst those families who could afford to have house elves, of treating them like scum.

The house elf snapped his fingers and both their cloaks disappeared. Gellert looked around for where his cloak went, and Albus snickered.

“Don’t they have house elves at Durmstrang?” Albus asked.

“I’ve already told you, we do not.” Gellert said still looking at the creature with interest and concern. Albus believed he hadn’t expected it to have magical abilities.

“Please, sirs, wait here while I go and fetch Master Sirius to greet you. He is… getting himself to—”

“No need to explain, Kreacher, I’m here.” A deep, smooth voice sounded from a space beyond the men’s sight lines.

The sound of footsteps coming from a staircase off the long hallway announced the entrance of Sirius Black II. As he appeared and walked towards them, Albus noticed immediately his olive skin looked flush and he appeared somewhat out of breath as if he had just finished exercising. Either way he looked just as handsome as he had in the archives almost a fortnight ago.

A rogue image of them kissing in the archives came to Albus’s mind, his body reacted almost instantly despite standing very close to Gellert. When Sirius caught Albus’s eye, he flashed a charming smile, Albus immediately looked away but felt his cheeks warm.

Sirius turned his attention to Gellert. He appraised him giving him an up-and-down look. His eyes lingered too long on Gellert’s crotch area for Albus’s liking, but as quickly as he’d noticed, Sirius looked up and said,

“Welcome,” he took a large intake of breath, “to the Noble House of Black.”

He threw his arms out wide and smiled sardonically.

“Lives up to its name, doesn’t it?”

Albus looked around and put a faint smile on his face saying, “it certainly as the air of nobility about it.”

Sirius chuckled.

“You’re too kind, Wonder Boy. My ancestors weren’t known for their restraint. Anything green and/or shiny was fair game to be plastered on the walls. Shall I give you all a tour? Kreacher, do make sure that the erm- game room is prepared for lunch and a game. You know the one.”

Albus and Gellert looked at one another confusedly as the began to follow Sirius into a room to the left off the long hallway. They hadn’t planned on actually staying for lunch. They intended on getting their information and leaving.

“Yes, Master Sirius.” Kreacher disappeared with a cracking sound, which caused Gellert to jump a little bit and Albus to chuckle again.

“Sirius,” Albus began, “we do not want to intrude on your day, we know you are undoubtedly busy and don’t want to entertain the likes of us. So if you just wanted to relay whatever information you have about Cadmus Peverell, we can be on our way.”

“Nonsense!” Sirius waved his hand, much like Gellert had when Albus told him about their flirting. As if Albus’s words were nothing but smoke from a pipe. 

“The invitation said lunch and a game. We Blacks are men of our word, so it shall be lunch _and_ a game. I promise we will have lots of fun. And I never have guests. Spending all that time in the archives by myself is very lonely. And even when people come they’re normally boring and don’t treat me nearly as well as you did, Golden Boy.”

He winked at Albus, who felt himself blush again and quickly looked at the ground. Albus began to protest about these plans when Gellert grabbed and squeezed his hand.

Sirius saw this, clapped his hands together, and smiled wildly at the two men.

“Good! Lunch and a game, but first a tour.”

He beckoned them to the first room off the main hallway.

The men went into another dimly lit room. This one however had a different kind of decor. On the wall in front of them as they entered, there was a large tapestry that took up most of the wall. From a distance it looked like a picture of snakes slithering around portraits. Perhaps these were famous Slytherins? Or prominent Purebloods?

However, as they got closer, Albus realized that they were not snakes, but vines that were moving in between the portraits.

“This is my family,” Sirius said proudly.

Albus made his way closer, leaving Gellert behind to take in the whole tapestry.

“Tou jour pur” Gellert said slowly.

“Oh yes… our family motto. ‘Always pure.’ Every face and name you see on this tapestry is a pureblood.”

Sirius stood proudly and watched Albus and Gellert take in the tapestry. Albus could tell that he took a lot of pride in his heritage, which Albus found strange because it was rife with incest and bigotry.

“That is impressive,” Gellert said. He walked up to stand next to Albus who looked at Gellert in shock.

“Wonder boy,” Sirius began with a surprised smile. His hand flew to his heart as if he were clutching pearls, and his eyes darted between Gellert and Albus.

“You never told me you were cavorting with a foreign pureblood enthusiast. And here I thought you saved that particular kink of yours just for me. Guess someone has a type.”

Albus tried to fix his face into a cool expression, but inside he was quaking with suppressed rage. How could Gellert praise Sirius like this? Hadn’t they just been outside laughing about the absurd lengths families like the Blacks had gone to maintain their blood status? Or had it only been Albus who was laughing? Gellert knew Albus wasn’t a pureblood. How could he appreciate this? Was he just trying to butter Sirius up to get the information they wanted?

Albus thought back to the things Gellert had said in Professor Black’s office at Hogwarts. He remembered how Gellert deftly diffused the situation of his foreignness by placating the headmaster. That must be the game he was playing here too.

But deep down, Albus couldn’t help but wonder how far from the truth Gellert was straying to put on this facade for Sirius. He knew that part of Gellert’s wizard domination ideology was the kind of fanaticism that led the Blacks, and others like them, to inbreed. It was, undoubtedly, that same fanaticism that led Gellert to torture the non-purebloods Durmstrang, and be expelled. In truth, Albus wasn’t sure just how different Sirius and Gellert were from one another. One thing Albus was sure of was that Sirius would absolutely support their campaign to rework wizard-muggle relations, and that worried him even more about what he and Gellert wanted to do.

“But this begs the question, what does he see in a half blood like you?” Sirius asked with a haughty smirk.

“No doubt the same thing that your father does…. And you too.” Albus said quickly not even looking at Sirius.

He was still lost in his thoughts and emotions about Gellert, but he wasn’t going to let Sirius get away with a comment like that. His words jumped out of his mouth without much forethought.

“Touché.” Gellert inclined his head and chuckled. Again, Albus felt that his words which were intended to hurt barely touched Sirius.

“My father, champion of the purebloods, does seem to have a rather large soft spot for you.”

Sirius’s tone shifted. Slivers of envy seemed to penetrate his otherwise cool exterior.

“You can’t imagine how… disheartening… it is to come home each school holiday only to hear your father, the headmaster of your school, and purported biggest advocate, rant and rave about a half-blood prodigy that is going to ‘change the wizarding world.’ It was especially awful to have to that same father compare you, his own flesh and blood, to said half-blood and be consistently disappointed that this blood,” he gestured to the tapestry of his family tree, “wasn’t good enough for me to best you. It wasn’t enough that you were just better, it was that you were better than me. Sometimes I wonder if he would have preferred you, despite your blood status, to be his son over me.”

These words seemed to be an internal conversation said aloud. One that, Albus deduced, Sirius had had with himself many times before. 

In pity, Albus looked briefly at Sirius’s face, whose eyes were fixed on the tapestry, and saw what was a normally smooth and hubristic expression replaced with one of anger and anguish. The resentment he felt for Albus was chiseled onto his brow line which was furrowed aggressive. But., once their eyes met, it was as if it was never there.

Sirius cleared his throat and quickly resumed his impassive and impenetrable gaze. Albus realized in that moment that he had seen more emotion from the young Black heir than most.

Albus had never thought about how much his accomplishments would have affected others, certainly not anyone like Sirius. In all honesty, he didn’t spend much time during his years at Hogwarts concerned about how his success made other people feel. He knew that some people were jealous of him, but he spent more time around those who relished being in his company.

But, of course, he thought, those who believed that the purity of blood determined their life outcomes would be furious that someone of a perceived lesser blood status had bested them at every turn. Their blood status had failed them. They couldn’t be seen as the best, not when Albus was around. Their mediocrity could not be elevated by their parentage. He smiled too himself as he thought about the murmurs that must have permeated the Slytherin common room every time he won an award.

Albus thought of his mother and the joy she would get. The retribution for all the suffering she endured during her time at Hogwarts. To see the sons and daughters of her tormentors withering on the academic vine while her son, the son of a muggle born witch, bested them all. The thought of her joy didn’t make him happy, but it did make him proud. Still, he felt bad that Sirius had to come home and be ridiculed by his own father because of Albus’s success, but he wouldn’t apologize. He had done nothing wrong.

“What happened here?” Gellert asked pointing at the tapestry.

Albus looked up and saw that Gellert was referencing two spots that seemed to have been scorched.

“Oh!” Sirius smiled and looked at Albus with an intention that Albus did not like. “That’s a special gift for those are relatives who did not live up to the family’s name. You see, my Aunt Isla,” he pointed to the scorch mark that was in line with his father and aunts and uncles, “well… she married a muggle. She’s disgraced the Black name, so she’s not a Black anymore. If you want to know how we keep our blood pure, here’s a secret. We banish all those who seek to put our blood’s purity in jeopardy. Purity is easy if you prune the family tree of rotten fruit.”

His voice was tinged with something that seemed to suggest an understanding about his Aunt and what she had done.

“And this one?” Albus pointed to a scorch mark that seemed fresh as the linen on the fabric was still somewhat dark. The mark was in the same line as Sirius. It must be his sibling.

“ Was that… Phineas?”

Albus may not have known Sirius during his time at Hogwarts, but he did know his brother who was only a year older than Albus. A more different Black descendent you wouldn’t meet. He was kind, humble, and outlandishly skittish. He seemed to be afraid of everything. Albus had numerous stories about Phineas. They weren’t exactly friends but they did have friends in common. He wasn’t your typical Slytherin. People often joked that they thought he should have been in Hufflepuff, but because of his family, the Sorting Hat put him in his family’s house.

Sirius didn’t even look at the tapestry, he just sighed, and said “Yes. That’s my dolt of a brother, Phineas. You would have been not too much younger than him, Golden Boy. I’m sure you knew him. You both had a penchant for supporting muggle rights. That’s what earned him that scorch mark. He came home after his 7th year touting claims that he wanted to work for the ministry and promote muggle rights. He said he felt that as purebloods it was our duty to work on behalf of those who have less than us.

Well,” Sirius gave a dry chuckle that didn’t quite reach his eyes, “as you can imagine, given everything I’ve told you about my family, and the fact that our aunt was disowned and disinherited for falling in love with, and marrying, a muggle, this proclamation led to the biggest row 12 Grimmauld Place has ever had. My parents could not understand why someone of such prestigious wizarding lineage cared about muggles. He made an argument that we live in this world together that we, the Blacks, despite all our spells and enchantments live next door to muggles, and that we should be helping them in times of need.

It was too much for my mother. She could never begin to sympathize let alone empathize with those who she saw as being beneath us. It wasn’t the pure blood way. She told him to let go of these foolish beliefs. That he had been around too many wizards and witches not of pureblood birth and they had poisoned his mind…”

Albus could tell as Sirius told this story that he was pained by what was coming next. He clearly loved his brother. He thought of his relationship with Aberforth.

“… he didn’t relent. He told her that her thinking was antiquated. That muggles were making advances that might help us. Imagine that.” Sirius laughed bitterly, “muggles helping us. My mother warned him. She said ‘if you keep this up, you will end up like your aunt.’ He said he didn’t care that her marrying that muggle was the future, that he wasn’t going to marry some distant cousin for the sake of maintaining pureblood that meant less than nothing if he didn’t do anything with the power we had been given. This is where father and I begged him to stop. We knew that if he continued there would be no turning back. He didn’t care.

I think be secretly wanted out of this family. Away from the pressure of being a Black. He pushed further. He said he wasn’t going to stop himself from falling in love with a muggle if it happened.

Well…” Sirius sighed a deep sigh “mother used the Cruciatus curse on him that night. I can still hear the screams. Phineas was gone by the morning. We haven’t heard from him since. I think he was already in love with a muggle and just wanted an excuse to go and be with her.”

 

Albus was stunned. He turned to look at Gellert was seemed to be as equally stunned by this story. It was hard to believe that someone in the most privileged position would give it all up for love. Albus had read stories about that kind of love, he had even thought about it for himself but to look at the charred tapestry position of one of the Black heirs and know that he active decided to leave his family, the money, the prestige for the sake of love, sent chills down his spine.

On the other hand, he thought about how strongly one must hate muggles to curse your own child in hopes that they would submit to the family’s belief of muggles. But was Sirius’s mother’s belief much different than Gellert’s? Was her thought process much different than what Albus and Gellert sought to bring to pass with their new regime?

Aberforth’s haunting whisper of “Be careful” floated into Albus’s mental plane and for the first time in a long time he thought the warning might be worth heeding. If it was true that the people who would believe in he and Gellert’s cause were those who were willing to torture their own children for the sake of maintaining the status quo, is that who Albus wanted to have as followers?

But he thought of the mirror again and all that it showed him. He knew it wasn’t the future, but that it could be if he did everything right. That meant finding the Hallows, using them, and keeping Gellert’s more base instincts about muggles at bay long enough to rearrange the wizarding world.

“Who is this?” Gellert pointed to a portrait near the very top of the tapestry.

“Ah!” Sirius smiled. “I wondered when we would get to this. I confess, I’m surprised we made it this long without you all bringing up your quest for the Hallows. You even let me ramble about my failure of a brother and strained relationship with my father. How feckless. Anyways, yes, well that is my ancestor Orcus Swart.”

Gellert looked at Sirius confused by the last name. Sirius rolled his eyes.

Albus cut in before Sirius could insult him saying, “Swart was the Frisian word for Black in the times before English was the English we now speak. Back then it was a mix of Anglo Saxon and Germanic languages.”

“Ten points to Gryffindor,” Sirius said sarcastically.

Gellert, unfazed, continued to stare at the portrait which was alone in its line. This Orcus had no siblings, he married and had 4 children.

“Orcus was alive during the time of…” Gellert started.

Sirius smiled, “I had heard you Durmstrang lot were headstrong, and you are proving it to be true. Yes, Orcus was alive in the same time period as the Peverells.”

Albus interjected. “When we were in the archives, you mentioned Cadmus meddled with necromancy. But that’s in none of the records that we have about the Peverell brothers. Any chance that your relative, Orcus, has something to do with that? We know the brothers broke off after an attack and created what many believe to be the Deathly Hallows. But Cadmus’s whereabouts areunknown. Orcus… wasn’t he the Etruscan god of Death?”

Sirius nodded. He seemed so intrigued by Albus’s thought process.

“Is it possible that Orcus wasn’t actually your relative’s name but because of his skill with necromancy he changed it?”

Sirius let out a slow clap. He tried to come off as unaffected, but Albus could tell he was impressed.

“Oh Wonder Boy, I should have known you wouldn’t have forgotten my slip up. And to even go as far as to connect the name to what you’ve been told. It truly is no wonder that my father thought so highly of you despite your low birth. I must admit, it turns me on to watch your brain work.”

He turned to Gellert with his dark eye brow arched, “Is that why you’re with him?” 

Gellert looked at Albus with a stare that was both adoring and lustful.

“Among other things…”

Sirius also looked at Albus with a gaze that was both probing and longing, saying

“I have no doubt.”

Albus, whose face was so red he might have been wearing rouge, said quickly,

“So is Orcus the one who taught Cadmus about necromancy?”

“He didn’t teach him _about_ necromancy… he taught him necromancy.” Sirius said.

He pushed his way between Albus and Gellert, standing between them, all three staring at the Black family tree.

“One thing about us purebloods, we have to know our family history. It’s instilled in us from an early age that it is our responsibility to maintain our family name at all cost. Especially as the eldest male heir,” Sirius stated bitterness seeping through his words like honey from a honeycomb.

Albus remembered the words of Antioch Peverell and the burden he had to carry the family name. This seemed to be something the pureblood wizards, regardless of the era, had to endure. Some antiquated vestige of immortality that these families clung to.

“It also happens,” Sirius continued, “that I have a bit of a penchant for history. So I did some additional research into our family. In fact, I filled in most of the this family tree myself based on the research I’ve done.” He looked at the tapestry with pride.

“Like I said, spending your days in a secret archives is boring. So I make it interesting by studying up about my family. In his day, Orcus was truly a marvel and a horror. A wizard with a knack for conjuring the dead. He had learned the ancient magic from the head of Slytherin House during his time at Hogwarts about 250 years after its founding. The House system was much stricter and the restrictions on the kinds of magic taught by the heads of houses was more lax. By all accounts Orcus was an exceptional student with a thirst for knowledge and power that made him the prime Slytherin pupil. He, like most wizards of that age, kept a journal to discuss his adventures. It was something they all did and I honestly can’t think of anything more boring than recounting my life into a book that can’t react, but it was a different time.”

Sirius shrugged and then continued,

“Orcus and Cadmus were both in Slytherin house together. They were not friends because the Peverell brothers were superstars and not particularly kind to anyone who didn’t show them the utmost deference. But Orcus’s skills at communing with the dead had the same effect of the Peverell’s dueling skills. Necromancy is a tricky form of magic because it requires great power, but also an immense amount of mental fortitude. You see, you have to let your mind wander beyond the veil of life and death into memory and shadow while…”

“Keeping your body grounded in reality and the present,” Albus and Gellert said in tandem.

Their attention was rapt. This was the information they needed. Albus hoped that with Sirius telling them what they needed to know, they wouldn’t need to stay for lunch or whatever game Sirius had planned for them. 

“Aren’t you two so cute,” Sirius said sardonically. “Yes, it is a metaphysical balancing act that requires immense concentration and high amounts of determination. The call of the dead is alluring. Especially if you’ve lost someone. So to avoid this call, true necromancers use objects as a sort of totem to keep them tied to the mortal plane while they are conversing with the dead. Not wands, the need something more solid and less fickle. Many relied on gem stones, like diamonds. Goblins have always held that they hold special magic, and those who conjure the dead believed it to be so. 

After Hogwarts, Orcus made a living traveling and performing seances. There were few wizards who could perform the magic necessary and people were willing to pay a hefty price for his services. The family won’t admit it, but much of the gold we have in our coffers is from his patrons. And despite my family’s hatred of muggles, he was not ashamed to take their money as well. This is before the Statute of Secrecy, of course.”

Gellert sighed. “What does any of this have to do with the Peverells?”

“Oo… impatient. Wonder Boy, I don’t know how you do it…” Sirius drawled, shaking his head.

“Just keep going Sirius…” Albus said trying to keep his annoyance and impatience at a minimum as to not offend Sirius.

“Orcus’s journals don’t document how or why Cadmus Peverell came to be his apprentice, but what is clear is that Cadmus found Orcus and demanded that he teach him the art of necromancy. Orcus initially refused citing that his constant visits to the other side came at a cost, and he wouldn’t wish this on anyone. But Cadmus was persistent. Orcus writes that he spoke as if he had already seen beyond the veil and seen Death.”

Albus immediately got chills. So much of their research and knowledge was coming together.

 

Then, the men heard a loud crack rip through the air. On either side of Sirius, Albus and Gellert jumped and spun around to find the origin of the sound.

Sirius chuckled and said calmly, “Is everything prepared, Kreacher?”

“Yes, Master Sirius.I have prepared the game and will serve lunch when you all have finished.”

“Looks like it’s game time boys. I can finish this story later.” Sirius said, turning his back to the tapestry and walking towards the door that led to hallway.

Albus, hoping to avoid lunch and the game, said in a smooth but forceful voice, “why not just finish it now since it seems like you were almost done…”

“The story is almost done…” Sirius stated turning back around to face the men. He put his pointer finger to his lips as if considering finishing the tale.

“But I promised you a game and you’ve already agreed. Let’s not back out now. And it will be so much fun. Have either of you ever played Roulette Veritae?”

“Truth Roulette?” Albus inquired.

“Yes, it’s like roulette but the roulette wheel doesn’t have numbers, instead it small goblets. Some are filled with water, and others are filled with veritaserum.”

“What?!” Albus was aghast. “That’s illegal, Sirius, and dangerous.”

“Oh calm down, Albus, it’s only a drop into water. If it's your turn, you took the drink, and answer a question. If you don't have the truth serum, you can lie as you see fit. If you do get the veritaserum, well.. you know how it works. But the effects will only last for 2 minutes at the most. Don’t you ever let your hair down and enjoy yourself? You’re safe here. Nothing to worry about unless you have something to hide…” 

Sirius smiled, spun back to the door and turned left down the hallway.

Albus looked at Gellert.

“We have already gotten so much more information, do you think we need anymore. We can go back to Godric’s Hollow and skip this whole thing.”

“Albus…” Gellert took his hand, “we have looked everywhere for information on Cadmus and come up short. We have to do this. Nothing is going to happen to us. We will protect each other.” Gellert let go of his hand and followed in the direction Sirius had gone.

Albus stood there in the room alone and thought “that’s what the Peverells thought before they were attacked by an unexpected enemy.”

He sighed and followed Gellert out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a lot of fun and unfolding in a way I hadn't expected. Sirius's confession about how he was jealous of Albus and the discussion of how his brother Phineas was kicked out both came as I was writing. But I like both moments because it shows the pressure that is placed on them and how they choose to cope. It mirrors what we know happens between Regulus and Sirius III, one leaves and the other stays but subverts the status quo in his own, sad way. 
> 
> I like the idea that this streak of rebellion is in the blood of the Blacks and that, because of their determination to keep the blood pure, doesn't get diluted throughout the generations. 
> 
> I also enjoyed taking us back to 12 Grimmauld place and reimagining what it might have looked like during its glory days.
> 
> I'm excited for the next chapter. What secrets might the boys spill in this game of Roulette Veritae? I'll just say that Sirius has a lot more in the "game room" than games ;)


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